Second Chances: The Tale of Eleni Crow
by Raine of Tirragen
Summary: Eleni Crow grew up listening to tales of her Grandmother Lioness. She'd do anything to be just like her. She refuses to settle for something as mundane as the title of Lady Knight. No, she'll be a Knight, even if she has to fool the entire Court.
1. Fooling the Lioness

The Swoop.

The Pirate's Swoop.

A magnificent castle of outstanding proportions watched the ocean from it's place upon the precipice of a cliff. Built to house those who would defend Tortall from pirates, it now housed the most famous knight in the world. To be invited to the Swoop was considered an honor that few would decline. The place eminated greatness.

The place Myles' mother had fled.

And Myles was on a ship bound for the lair of the Lioness. In another hour the ship would reach the harbor. Myles could already see vague figures waiting for the ship to dock. Well, vague to everyone else on the ship. Myles could easily make out the legendary Lioness and the Baron of Pirate's Swoop.

A family would be reunited, but would they be happy? The Lioness Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau and her husband Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop, the former Rogue, had not seen their grandchild in eight years.

_"Will she like me? She only saw me once."_

_"I'm sure, Mother will like you just fine, what with you going of to be a knight just like her."_

_"You really think so, Ma?"_

_"For the last time, yes. Now off to your lessons."_

It was rumored that Myles and the Lioness shared much, that they were identical. Myles was fortunate enough to have Nawat's build, but had the red hair, and the violet eyes that had skipped Aly. Myles also had the razor sharp tongue and wit that all who descended from Trebond inherited.

The ship docked, startling Myles out of a daydream. It would have been faster to fly to the Swoop once it had been in sight, but Aly and Nawat had both forbidden it.

"_You'll be careful?"_

"_Yes, Ma. We've been over the plan a million times."_

"_What do you do if-"_

"_Da, I know what I'm doing!"_

"_Do you, really?"_

"_Yes, Mother."_

No one was to know of the half crow's abilities. They were for the Tortallan King to utilize, not for Myles to play with.

The gangplank was lowered and the youngling waited for the Lioness to board, only to be reminded that the Lioness did not like ships, at all.

"Milord," called Lokejo, the only man on the ship not wearing the colors of Queen Dovasary, "She won't be coming aboard. Says that you best leave the ship afore she forces you off." A wicked grin was threatening to break the man's face in two, "I don't believe you want her touching you with that gift of hers."

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Cutting my hair. It was too long, anyway."_

_"Ma will kill you when she sees. She loves your hair."_

_"I know she does, but it's useless to me when it's this long."_

_"Do as you please."_

_"What are **you** doing?"_

_"Trying to think of something pretty I can say at the funeral."_

That was why she had not visited the Copper Isles, or her family there, in eight years. The Lioness was more cat than knight, at least when it came to water. Sighing, Myles moved away from the bow of the ship and properly faced the Swoop. One step at a time, Myles walked away from the last remnants of Kyprish society.

Both grandparents raced to the little one, brimming with pride at the sight of their grandson.

George Cooper reached his grandchild first, much to the chagrin of his Lioness, and embraced him in a bone-crushing hug. She waited impatiently for all of two seconds, before ripping her grandchild from her husband's arms.

Violet met violet, and the mighty Lioness felt something within her heart. Alanna had not seen those eyes in another face since the death of her brother, Thom, and she swore to protect this boy before her. "Welcome to the Swoop, laddybuck. I can already tell you'll make a fantastic knight."

He was to be a knight of Tortall, one day. He would follow in his grandmother's footsteps. Myles' grandparents were the proudest in existence that day, all because their grandson had chosen the path of chivalrous knighthood. He would not stray, and he would be a dear asset to the Crown.

George Cooper knew his lady knight well enough to now what was on her mind, and how bittersweet the thoughts were. "Well now, why don't we go inside? No use standing around here. Come along, Myles, I'll give you a tour of the Swoop."

_I can do this._ Myles was not worried. If grandparents could be fooled, then a court full of mindless nobles would be easy. The annals of the Family's history were filled will players and mages. _I will be just like her. I'll the greatest knight in the entire realm, second only to the fearsome Lioness. All will know my name and fear it. Once I have my shield, they'll all know just how much alike the Lioness and I really are._

Tortall would know a new Lioness. Tortall would know **her**. Tortall would know **Eleni**.


	2. Playing the Rouge

George Cooper had given his grandson the grand tour of the Swoop, as promised. From the highest tower to the lowest dungeon, George had insisted that his grandson see it all. Every last inch of the enormous structure. Eleni was awed at first, but after three floors and seven different types of masonry, Eleni didn't care much for the old castle.

The Lioness had been lucky enough to be able to disappear at the beginning of the tour, mumbling something under her breath as a feeble excuse.

Which meant, of course, that Eleni, said grandson in disguise, had walked more in those few hours than she had in the last week she had spent at sea, all alone with her smitten Grandfather. her feet ached, and more than once, she wondered why anyone would design a castle this large. _I think the man hates me. He's still the Rogue under his title. Only a King of Thieves can trick a poor child into coming along for this torture. Why? Why couldn't I have normal relatives who owned a small fief? Mithros, I swear I'm about to collapse in the next room._

"And this is your room." With all the grace of a professional player, George waved his grandchild into her new bedroom. The room was plain, but welcoming, housing a comfortable bed, clothes-press, bureau, and writing desk. "I hope you like it, we tried to model it off of Alan's room when he was younger. If you need something else, you can just-"

Eleni ignored everything except the bed. Without listening to what her grandfather was saying, she threw herself on the soft bed, drowing in the wonderful feather matress. After a few seconds, she realized how rude she had been and turned around on the bed, only to see what was outside her window.

The ocean. As far as the eye could see, and hers could see very far, there was nothing but water. She had to get closer, as close as she could.

It didn't bother the old Rogue that he was being ignored, because, in the end, the room had had the desired effect on Eleni. "The Isles are that way." George knew that this room would be the best for his grandson, and had spent days relocating his office and making it a room fir for a young lad. Now he was content to forget the trouble it had to do so, and admire the joy on Eleni's face as she inched closer to the window sill. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, Gra-," Eleni's voice broke. _This is wrong. I shouldn't be lying to them, the only family I have here. Grandfather is so kind, I know this room must have been special to him. And the Lioness, all my fears were for nothing. She's so gentle, nothing at all like I had imagined. Ma made her sound like a Stormwing._ Eleni gazed longingly out the window._I wish Da could tell me what to do._She was glad that she could look of at her home, even if she couldn't see it. The knowledge that her Ma, Da, and brothers were all just an ocean away, gave her comfort. Clearing her throat she tried again, calmly this time, "Yes, Grandfather. I love this room, more than I can say."

George could detect a lie. If he hadn't been able to, he never would have managed to stay alive as the Rogue for more than a decade. He didn't know what the little one was lying about, but he was Tortall's Spymaster. If he couldn't get information out of a ten-year-old, then why bother continuing?_ Worth a try._

"You want to tell me the truth?" The fact that Eleni paled considerably, was all the proof he needed. No reason to hold back now. "I won't be mad, you know. Your Grandma and I used to get in trouble all the time, even Jon got in trouble. Come on, lad, the truth, now."

Eleni was frozen. Had Mithros and the Goddess descended upon them now wearing pink taffetta ball gowns she wouldn't have blinked. _How? How did he figure it out? Gods curse it, I don't want to be sent back! I want to win my shield. They'd never let me stay once they find out the truth. I was careful, wasn't I? I'm still young enought that they can't tell I'm not Myles. What went wrong?_

All the while George watch Eleni go from deathly white to darkening shades of green. "Myles, lad, calm down." Eleni swallowed the mouthful of bile that threatened to pass her lips. Sure that the **Myles** wouldn't be sick in his new room, George tried again, "I didn't mean anything by it, Myles, my lad. Just thought you might have you wanted off your chest, Myles. Maybe a fight with Aly made you leave? Myles, you know those aren't the right motivations to gain a shield. If there's something you want to share, Myles, I'll always-"

"Stop it!" Eleni couldn't take it anymore. The guilt kept forcing the bile back up her throat. _I'm horrible. Grandpa's trying to make me feel so welcome and safe and sure, and I'm lying to his face._ "Grandfather, the truth is-"

George knew. Well, not **knew**, but he was willing to hazard a guess. The lad was afraid of his own name, every mention made his face turning his face a darker and sicklier shade of green. He knew how to read people, and he was glad to discover that he hadn't lost his touch. He knew. And that raised more questions.

"Eleni Crow, stop." For the second time in the span of five minutes, Eleni froze. "No," George said, raising a hand to silence her. "You're making the same mistake your Grandma made. No, no talking just yet." George walked back to the door, never once looking away from his grandchild. Bolting it with one hand, he signaled to Eleni to stand with the other.

Like a falcon circling a scared rabbit began his second assessment of his grandchild. Seconds passed by, and then minutes, and then Eleni could of sworn that years had passed since her grandfather had guessed the truth. But it had only been five minutes.

Five minutes under the watch of a man who could destroy her plans.


	3. Catching the Chick

The body of a bird is very small and light, so that it may glide on the gentle breezes and go where it wishes. The body of a human is much heavier. Changing from one to the other is difficult, very difficult. The bones have to reconstruct the entire skeleton and rearrange all of the organs. All in all the process is anything but painless.

Five minutes under the gaze of a master interrogator can feel like days, and one cannot hope to hold out for long. Those five minutes made Eleni forget the pain of the transformation. She wasn't going to wait for George Cooper to find what he was looking for. He was still staring at her and she decided to act before she lost her nerve.

In less time than it took George to blink, Eleni had transformed into a mass of sleek, black feathers, leaving her clothes on the stone floor, and started for the window. _I'll fly away, hideout in the forest. Maybe he'll worry so much about me that he'll make a deal. I just have to get-_

George was already in front of the window, Eleni's escape blocked. His wit never abandoned him, and he wasn't surprised, because his daughter had already warned him about all of her children's crow tricks. He didn't try to grab her, scared that he might break one of her fragile bones, but looked into her eyes, seeking the intelligence that he knew was there.

"Change back, lass." The crow tried to fly around him, but George was blocking her way again. "Now, Eleni."

With a shrill cry, the little crow turned away from the window and gruffly landed on the floor. After a second, she cawed again and indignantly flapped her wings. Finally understanding, George turned around to give his granddaughter some privacy to dress.

If the process of turning into a crow was to be considered painful, then there were no words to describe the transformation from crow to human. The bones had to expand exponentially, an Eleni was grateful that she was small. Smaller bones meant less regrowing, and in turn, meant less pain.

When she was decent once more, she stood still, staring a the back of her grandfather's head. _Why? He could have caught me, he certainly proved quick enough. Grandfather,_ at this thought she let out a loud and resigned sigh, _let's get this over with._

"What do you want to know?"

George turned around with a small smile on his lips and sat on the forgotten bed. Motioning Eleni over with a pat on the bed, he waited for her to sit still. "I want to know why there was a lass on that ship, when I was told to expect a lad." Eleni' shoulders drooped and George put one arm around her and with his other hand lifted her chin. "Lass, I don't care that you want to be a knight. Gods, I couldn't be more proud, but why lie?"

_He's not angry. He's Grandfather. I guess I should have expected him to understand._"The Lioness had it easier. She just pretended to be a boy and worried about the consequences after she was revealed. If a girl is to win her shield now, then she is treated differently. They're not coddled, but life is made much more difficult for them, for me, because stuffy conservatives keep interrupting the training." She was trying to keep her voice calm, and was mostly succeeding, but her traitorous violet eyes were shining with unshed tears.

All he could do was stare at his only granddaugter. This small girl, probably only as tall as Alanna wa when she was ten, had really thought things through. She was right, of course. Lady Knight Keladry had to endure much more than the male pages and squires only to be appreciated half as much. And the damn conservatives were still calling her a sham.

"Ellie, I understand what you're feeling, I do, but you can't go around causing problems for the king. No, lass," he said as she tried to speak up. "Jon has enough problems dealing with the conservatives and their animosity towards known female knights. What do you think would happen when they found out you were a girl? No one would believe he'd never known."

"But I want the title of Lady Knight!" Like most ten-year-olds, Eleni hated adults talking down to her. "I know that it'll mean problems for the king, but Grandmother was the same! The problems she caused didn't matter afterwards, because she proved such a great knight. I don't want the title of Lady."

"Are you finished? Good. In my day we respected our elders." Eleni's face clearly stated that she doubted George's words. "Well, maybe not respected, but we didn't throw tantrums. Lass," he sighed,"Are you sure?"

"About what?"

"Are you sure you're up to ding all this? Lying to everyone you meet for the next eight years?"

"You'd let me? Really let me?" Eleni was too scared to believe him. She wanted to, but there was always the possibility that the ex-Rogue was lulling her into a false sense of security.

"If you're sure you can do it, who am I to stop you?" George lifted her chin up with one finger and placed a gentle kiss on Eleni's forehead. "You look like her, people don't lie when they say it. Make me proud, Myles." He knew that to expose her now would be too painful for the girl, but he also knew that her exposure later would hurt more. George could only pray to the gods that his little girl would be strong when the time came.

"Thank you, Grandfather."

"Anytime, lass."

It was an hour later that Alanna found her husband and granddaughter chatting amiably, almost as if George was Eleni's father. A small smile found its way to her lips. _Perhaps, perhaps this one will be different. Goddess, watch over Myles._


	4. Taming the Fear

**I'm very sorry. College caught up with me, and I know that's a sad excuse, but it's the only one I have. You try understanding Ancient Greek.**

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Eleni could not believe the sheer size of Corus. Sure, Rajumat was a large and triving city, but this place was like nothing she had ever seen before. So many people were milling about, almost without purpose, that Eleni thought she might get lost, and there were plenty of people in back Rajumat.

Luckily, her dear Grandfather George had thought ahead, and had presented her with a sure mount, saying that he remembered the Lioness's first day in Corus. As he had said that, he'd chuckled and left Eleni in the stables to wonder about the Lioness' first day, but quickly turned to admire her new horse.

She was a dark bay mare, three years old, and already broken in for riding. The mare was a pretty thing, a golden butterscotch with white socks, mane, and tail. Eleni had approached the mare while holding out a piece of peppermint candy. Thanking the Goddess that the horse didn't bite her hand off, as some less well tempered horses were known to do, she contemplated what would be an appropriate and strong name for her new mount.

"Whoa," she said, as the horse nudged her for more treats. "You really liked that stuff, didn't you? Well, too bad, I don't have anymore." The horse nickered and nudged her again, this time much more forcefully, nearly knocking over the waif of a child. Eleni overcame her apprehension and took hold of the horse's long face and looked her square in the eye. "No more peppermints for you, girl. Didn't your ma ever teach you that too many treats are bad for you?"

A tiny glimmer lit up Eleni's eyes. "Candy," she whispered, slowly petting the mare's nose. "What do you think of it, girl?" The mare merely snorted into Eleni's hand and continued to look for treats.

A week later she was riding through the city gates, folowing her grandfather's dappled gray horse. The Lioness had been forced to stay behind at the Swoop for another fortnight, but would be arriving at the palace as soon as she could.

But Eleni was not thinking about the Swoop or her family, she was trying, and nearly succeeding, to take in all that there was for her eyes to feast on. It was a very busy market day, and the colors and sounds that whirled around the streets could make a girl dizzy from trying to follow.

Captivated by the city and its sights, Eleni missed the small child that had run in front of Candy. The mare reared backed on its hind legs, its eyes rolling to the back of its head. The people in the street had run out of the way of the horse's flailing hooves, but had stayed close enough to see if the incident could be used as decent gossip later. It was all Eleni could to wrap her small arms around the beast's neck and hold on for dear life.

George quickly jumped off his on horse and attempted to grab the reins that Eleni had dropped, but couldn't get close enough. _What in the Mithros' name is happening?_ George still couldn't reach the reins and his usually calm demeanor was leaving him.

A young lad suddenly broke free of the growing crowd and managed to grab hold of the frightened mare. His hands began to glow a dark blue and slowly the glow spread over the horse's head, down its neck, and finally covered the whole body. Candy quieted down and returned to all fours. While the boy kept ahold of the horse, George moved to take the reins and to check of Eleni.

The small girl was hyperventilating and George had to pry her hands apart. It dawned on Eleni that Candy was finally still, and that was all it took. "I thought you said the horse was broken in!" The small girl's voice easily carried through the silent crowd, much to George's embarassment. His face turned an ugly shade of red, but he could of easily attributed it to his anger at Candy's behaviour and not Eleni's.

Silently taking hold of Candy's reins, he returned to his horse and grabbed his own. When he was sure that both horses were under his control he motioned for the boy who had stayed for the whole fiasco. Eleni did not take well to being ignored by her grandfather, least of all after nearly being killed by his choice of a horse. The boy followed the seething pair, worrying darkening his eyes.

George led them through the market and up to the palace gates, all the while trying to come up with a reason for Candy's behavior. At the gates he noticed the guards' disdainful expressions and remembered the boy. "Let him be, men. The boy's with me." As he walked on by, George failed to see the disdain turn to puzzlement.

The boy just shrugged and gave the guards a wink and a mock salute, quickening his stride when they moved to get him.

George called for Stefan to stable the horses. As the man approached, George hauled his still seething grandchild off of her mount and herded her and the boy out of the stables and into the warm afternoon sun. He knew that right outside of the stables was a bad place to discuss anything, so he wrapped an arm around both sets of shoulders and steered them towards his rooms.

No one in the party spoke a word, and the servants and nobles they passed on their way were quick to move aside. Strangely enough, what caught the attention of the palace gossips was not the Baron's livid expression or the famous grandchild of the Lioness. What people noticed was the lad.

What, they whispered, could Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop possibly want with **him**?

George could not have been happier to see his rooms. He motioned for both children to go in, shoving both slightly when neither took the hint. Following them in, he locked the door and counted to ten. _It was my grand**son** that was almost injured. Do not give Eleni away, George. _

"Myles, take a seat, and by Mithros' beard do not speak a word." Eleni, still sore about the show down in the market, was about to retort, but George cut her off. "Not a word, Myles." Angrier still, Eleni resigned herswelf to nursing her wounded pride. "Boy, tell me your name, and be quick about it."

A lazy, almost cat-like grin spread across the boy's lips, before the honey coated words left them. "Alex, my lord. Alexander of Tirragen."

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**Yes, evil. I know. Don't worry. I should have another chapter out by the 1st and now things are really going to move.**


	5. Hiding the Truth

**I am so glad that everyone is enjoying this story! Thank you for all of the kind reviews. Once again, I am avoiding my Philosophy reading.**

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A lazy, almost cat-like grin spread across the boy's lips, before the honey coated words left them. "Alex, my lord. Alexander of Tirragen."

The silence in the room was thick. Almost as thick as the bad blood that ran through the three's family history. Ever the player, George attempted to move past the discomforting moment. "Young Alexander, let me thank you for assisting my grandson. Myles, thank the lad." An unflattering grunt was the only response.

"More so, I would like to thank you for assisting me. Willingness to help those in need is a wonderful quality to possess when one is training for a shield."

"I am quite aware of that, my lord. I try to do only what I can." The damned smile was still on his lips. George remembered that smile, it had always been plastered on the late Alexander's face.

There was an awkward pause in the conversation, once again.

The grin was still on the boy's face, and George was tired of it. Alex looked just like his namesake, possessed the same dark features that had lent the previous owner an air of mystery. All George could remember was the image of the Lioness the day she had been forced to kill her one-time friend.

Unable to stand the boy any longer, he briskly walked over to his door and undid the special locks. "You are dismissed," he managed to say with the utmost diplomacy. Alexander remained quiet, the coy smile still gracing his fine mouth, and practically glided out the door. _By the gods_, George thought. _The lad even moves like he did. How did I not know about this?_

"Am I allowed to speak now?" Eleni's voice cut through the fog that had taken control of George's mind. She was obviously miffed, but most of the anger had subsided. "Grandfather?"

"Yes?" He was aware of his surroundings, but not entirely lucid. This new Alexander had thrown his mind into an unknown state of chaos.

"Why do you look as if you've seen a ghost?" The question was meant as a jest, but Eleni did not know how close to the truth she had struck. "I'm fine, you know. Candy wouldn't have hurt me, she was just spooked." She walked to the center of the room and turned a full circle. "See? Not a scratch on me."

"Eleni-" George didn't know what to say, by the gods, he voiced had cracked! Should he worry the child by tell her of the threat the boy's family had been? That Candy hadn't just been _spooked_? "Eleni, why don't we get you settled in?" The easy road then. George didn't want to face the problem alone, and he was sure his wife would want to be present to give the proper telling of the tragedy.

The small girl's eyes lit up at the very thought of beginning her training. _This is what I've been waiting for! I can't believe that Grandfather's not going to tell on me!_ Despite the inner girl squealing her heart out, Eleni's face showed all of the testosterone fueled bravado a ten year old boy would have. "Alright, then."

George let out a tired sigh. "Are you sure you want to do this as a boy? Lord Paidrag is a fairly decent man, he won't hold your gender against you." George prayed that Eleni would agree with reason, he didn't want to break his promise to her, but he didn't want her to get killed by this new demon cat that stalked the palace. The girl had all the stubbornness of her mother and grandmother. There was nothing to be done about it. "Have it your way, **Myles**. Just remember what I've told you."

Without waiting to see if Eleni had followed, George started for the office of Royal Training Master Lord Paidrag haMinch. Another five minutes of walking and arousing the palace gossip had them before a sturdy oak door. George solidly knocked on the door twice, and had an instantaneous reply to enter.

The man had sparse quarters, but they were definitely masculine. There was a large desk with one chair behind it and two in front. Apart from the various shelves containing gleaming weapons of all kinds, the only decoration in the room was a shield mounted on the wall behind the desk.

The man himself was older, certainly, but not decrepit. Where other men had lost there hair, Lord haMinch had retained his thick hair, if only a few shades lighter than the original blonde. He had all the vigor, and rigidness, of his youth, and his grey eyes and strong brow said he was willing to prove it to anyone who said otherwise.

"Welcome, my lord," he said while getting up to greet his guests. His eyes landed on Eleni, and she could have sworn he had stripped off every layer of her soul and judged her right there. "Is this the lad you wrote about," he asked while gesturing for them to sit. There was only a minimal twitch in his left cheek when he said, "It would be a pleasure to train the grandson of Lady Knight Alanna."

George knew this game better than the man. If you lied in the Court of the Rogue, you found yourself on the riverbanks the next morning, a knife between your ribs. However, if you lied well, you could amount to almost anything. George became King of the Rogues, he could lie and flatter.

"I thank you, on the behalf of my wife, and might I just say what an honor it would be to have Myles trained by someone such as yourself. If anyone, " he continued, "could instill a sense of true loyalty and chivalry in these lads, it would be you, my lord." A player's smile was on his lips, but there was silent laughter in his eyes. It was always amusing to ruffle the feathers of the stuffy conservatives.

Lord Paidrag twitched again, more noticeably this time, and thanked George for his kind words. "Does the lad have the gift?" Eleni didn't trust herself not to laugh at the man's discomfort and merely shook her head. "In that case, there is nothing more to discuss. One bell before dinner, I will see to it that you have a sponsor. Until then, gentlemen."

They were dismissed. George and Eleni walked back to George's rooms, each burdened by their own thoughts. Eleni, praying that no one would notice her gender, George, trying to understand how Tirragen had slipped through the cracks. Before either had an answer they were at the door. George silently pushed it open and waited for Eleni to pass through; this time he didn't have to shove her.

"I like him," she said when she had settled on a couch. "I can have plenty of fun with that one."

A tiny chuckle escaped George. "You sure you want to attract attention? From a man like that?" He still doubted Eleni's plan. It had seemed harmless, and he had hoped that she would tire of the notion before they reached Corus, but after meeting Alexander, he wasn't sure if it would be a good idea. All joking and fun aside, the boy could be after Trebond blood, and Eleni would be his closest source. And if he discovered the truth, well, the lad was more man than boy. He could damage the small lass.

For the second time that day, George's thoughts were interrupted by Eleni. She had wrapped her small arms around his torso and was hugging him. "Thank you, Grandfather. I know you're worrying, I am too. But I want to be like the Lioness, I don't want to put up with silly conservatives and waste time. I'll be careful, promise."

George could only sigh, and pray that being careful would suffice. "Why don't we get you settled into your new room? I'm sure your things have already been unpacked." And so with a heavy heart, he led his only granddaughter to a den full of wolves. Gods help him, it would be eight years before she earned her shield.

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**Yay! Another chapter, much sooner than I thought I could get it out, but you'd be amazed with what you can do when trying to avoid Aristotle. Give me another week before the next one. Bye.**


	6. Setting the Bait

**This newest chapeter is dedicated to GinaStar and spazzysassyangel, the two that always review. Thank you everyone who reviews. It's not a cliche, it really does inspire us to write!**

**Also, thank you to those who contributed to my 500 hits.**

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It was obvious that Lord Paidrag meant to instill a sense of asceticism in his pages. Eleni's room was as barren as his office.

"Well this is charming," she said with as much sarcasm as possible .

George closed the door and gently cuffed her ear. "Don't be pert. Pages, and knights for that matter, do not complain about their quarters." Eleni, who had inherited her father's fondness for shinies, couldn't care less about that aspect of knighthood and it clearly showed on her face. "Alright, I'll have some things sent up from the market. Will that make her highness content?"

She pretended to be deep in thought, before a smile cracked. "Only if they're shiny. I like mirrors and glass pieces." Most people would have been offended, but George was glad to dote on the girl. Eleni realized that she might have sounded pert, once again, and moved to apologize. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I meant-"

"I know, little one. I don't mind, just remember that mirrors are for lasses, not young lads." He smiled at her blush and set to organizing her packs. "Come on, we've got to get this all sorted out. I need to know what you need from the city."

Eleni's blush intensified as she remembered the rather eventful morning. She sorted her clothes, almost mechanically before asking, "What happened? Earlier, I mean. I couldn't control Candy."

George didn't know what to say, because he honestly didn't know. He knew that horses shied at sudden actions, but Candy was one of the gentlest horse ever born, that was why he had bought her. "I don't know little one. Sometimes horses, like people, act strangely for no reason at all. It happens, but only rarely." He offered her a smile. "It's a good thing it already happened. It's happened and it's in the past. One less obstacle, in my opinion."

She mused over what he said, and responded, "In that case, I'm glad that boy helped out. He's a page, too?"

George blanched. _Gods damn it!_ "Yes, Alexander is another page, although I think he might be in a different year." Eleni detected the unease that permeated the air, but couldn't understand why. He wanted to tell her, but it wasn't his story. Alanna would have to be the one to tell her. "Eleni, a bit of advice: don't get attached to any particular person, at least not just yet. You have years to know these boys, and they may not be all that they appear to be, and-"

"Grandfather! I don't about boys like that!" She was mortified. How could her Grandfather, of all the people in the world, be trying to have this conversation with her. "Mother already had that talk with me, almost a year ago. You don't have to worry."

He could tell that it was hopeless to explain in such a roundabout way. "Of course, I understand." Better to let the girl think that that had been a poor attempt at _The Talk_, than to try a second time. "Well, if you're settled, I'll leave you to get ready for dinner. Just remember, your grandmother and I are always here, if ever you need anything."

He placed a small kiss on her head, and made the effort to hug her, but stopped when she started to fidget. "Boys don't hug, Grandfather."

"Of course, Myles. Have fun."

She was alone. Alone with over a dozen boys. _Gods, I must be insane. Me? Be like Grandmother? What was I thinking?_Eleni slinked over to her bed and dropped face first into a pillow. _At least the pillows are soft._And so, doubt gnawing at her ambitions, Eleni fell asleep.

* * *

_"Sleep, nestling, you have had a difficult day. Rest, there is nothing to worry about."_

_"What do you think you are doing!"_

_"Taking care of my charge, naturally. I look after all of my chicks."_

_"You stay away from her, Brother. I won't hesitate to imprison you again."_

_"I am only all too aware of that fact, my Dearest Sister. Oh, but wait! You have no power over me!"_

_"I have power enough to deal with you. This child is special. And she is mine. Stay away, Brother, I will not repeat myself."_

_"As you wish, Sister. Just remember that I have complete control of three pieces, while you only have one. This one may not take too kindly to cages. Consider it a warning."_

_"Consider this a threat: Do not meddle, you silly crow!"_

* * *

Elani awoke to sound of the palace bells with a pounding headache. Though she had rested for a couple of hours, she felt worse than when she had gone to bed. Reaching for the door with one hand and combing her short red hair with the other, Eleni took her first step into the world of pagehood.

Gods, help her, they were everywhere. She had never been around many boys, her only longterm companions being her brothers, and needless to say, these many boys, and at such close proximity, was a shock.

_Breathe, Eleni, everything will be fine. _Stubborn to the end, she willed herself to be an example of masculinity for the real boys, and almost giggled at the thought. _Stop it! Boys do not giggle!_ Mortified at her lack of control, Eleni was unaware of the grimace she had plastered on her face.

"Hey," came from her right. A boy, of course. He looked rather sickly, his pale skin, contrasting greatly with his midnight hair, did not help a bit. Surely, he wasn't a page. "Don't look so scared, they can smell fear." A joke. The boy was joking on the eve of on of the most important moments in their training! "Relax, would you?"

Eleni was at her wits end with the lad and preparing to tell him off, when Lord Paidrag spoke, "Older lads, line up!" All of the boys, with the exception of two, formed two lines behind Lord Paidrag. It was Eleni's luck that the fool would be her yearmate.

"To train for knighthood is an honor and a privelige. Thank the gods that you are capable of honoring your families in such a way. Above all, I expect you to uphold three ideals of chivalry. The chivalry of a warrior to his King, the chivalry of a warrior to his gods, for they decide your fate, and chivalry to your womenfolk, for they need your protection."

That last ideal stung. _Who is this stuffy conservative to say that women need defending? _Eleni was outraged, to say the least. _The Lioness doesn't need protecting, neither does Her Majesty or any of the Princess's ladies. _

"When I signal you, you will state your name and home. After that, you will be appointed a sponsor, who will show you the ways around the palace."

The first lad signaled out was one two doors down from Eleni. "Devin of Disart, my lord."

"Who will sponsor Devin of Disart?" Not two seconds later, a large boy with curly brown hair raised his hand. "Simon of Kennan will sponsor Devin of Disart." The small Devin scurried of to his sponsor's shadow.

The next boy, the annoying fool, was Schuyler of Nicoline. "Who will sponsor Schuyler of Nicoline?" Another large boy, this one wider than the last, raised his hand. "Warren of Dunlath will sponsor Schuyler of Nicoline."

She was alone, again. Eleni could feel the eyes that were raking over her wraith like figure. _Trickster don't let them find out. Don't let them treat me like the womenfolk he spoke of._ With that small prayer, she took a step forward. "Myles of Pirate's Swoop, my lord." Now she was positive that all of the eyes were on her, taking her in a second time.

"Who will sponsor Myles of Pirate's Swoop?" Surprisingly, there were no hands raised, but, equally surprising a voice was.

"I will sponsor him, my lord." The boy from the market. Alexander of Tirragen had spoken up and broken rank.

Lord Paidrag's silent discomfort was evident. Had a blind fool walked by he would have known it. "A hand would have sufficed, Tirragen."

That same sardonic smile was gracing his features again. "Forgive my enthusiasm, my lord. It would be an honor to induct the Lioness' grandson into the fold of palace life and the way of knighthood."

Eleni felt sick. There was something about that honey sweet voice that scared her. True, it also attracted her, but something told her it was the same attraction a moth had for a flame.

"Very well, Alexander of Tirragen will sponsor Myles of Pirate's Swoop." Eleni knew she had no choice. She forced her feet to move her shocked body to the boy's side. "Now that that's done with, you have one bell before dinner. I suggest you get going."

For the third time that day, Eleni was alone. Only this time, she was alone with something dangerous, and the deadliest part, was that she only recognized a fraction of the danger.

* * *

**I managed to write this all whil waiting for my flight. Wow, I'm impressed with myself. I was going to wait until next week, but I felt so loved, I had to post it early. Please allow another week before the next chapter. I'm reading Descartes now.**


	7. Meeting the Rock

"Down that staircase is the worst detour in the entire palace. Do not, under any circumstances, allow anyone to fool you into believing it's a shortcut to the dining hall."

"Fine, but where does it lead to?"

"The crypts below. I've been there, there's nothing too special, just a bunch of tombs." Alex was pulling her chain, but she didn't care. She'd already been warned about teasing from the older pages. They'd bother, but they wouldn't try to harm her. "Well, there was this one room that had some really interesting symbols on the floor. They looked like they were scorched into the stone."

"Really?" Eleni was, to say the least, intrigued. The idea that there were secret crypts to explore, got her imagination going. "I've never even seen a dungeon or anything like it. The Islands flood easily so everything was built on higher ground." She really wanted to explore, and there was an adventure waiting to happen right below here feet. "Would you take me down there? Pretty please?"

She froze. That was definitely not something boys did. Alex stopped walking and turned to face her. It was an elegant movement, and just as elegantly, he raised one perfect eyebrow. "I suggest that you keep quiet about any little quirks you might have. The older boys will tease you about them. Pretty please, is not something a page says."

He continued on with his tour, but Eleni stayed a few feet back. _Great. One hour with a boy and they think I'm going to do something babyish. Great. They won't think I'm a girl, they'll just think I'm a sissy._

"Are you coming," Alex shouted from up ahead. "Or am I giving a tour to the ghosts?"

That got her attention. All of Eleni's worries were forgotten. Alex would be her friend, he wouldn't let the others pick on her. He's already saved her once. "Are there really ghosts here," she asked when she caught up to him. "Real gones? I've never seen one. I can't believe there are so many new things for me to learn about!"

Alex laughed and threw an arm around her small shoulders. "I was joking, Myles. There aren't any really ghosts. Are you always this gullible? Because, you know, the older boys will tease you about that too." Eleni forced a smile, but on the inside, she was berating herself over her slip ups.

After another fifteen minutes of touring the first floor of the palace, Alex declared it almost time for dinner. "Lord Paidrag won't let anyone eat until we're all assembled." He let out a small chuckle, earning her a strange look from Eleni. "You do not," he explained, "Want to be the one to keep these boys from their dinner."

Upon entering the dining hall, Eleni followed Alex's lead and filled her plate with food, albeit she was apparently eating more than him. Like a shy puppy, she could feel the eyes of the others on her, Eleni followed him to a table and sat as close to him as decorum would allow.

Pages were still filing in, and one of these sat down across from Alex. Eleni, had never taken an interest in boys before, but even she could appreciate how attractive this boy was. At least until _she_ spoke.

"Alexander," she said in the most beautiful voice Eleni had ever heard. "Just what, I if may inquire, possessed you to take on a first year page?" She was staring Eleni down, staring into the purple eyes that also graced the face of the Lioness. "And why did it have to be this one?"

Now her gender was obvious, if one looked close enough. The face was too feminine, accented by high cheekbones, delicate eyebrows, and pretty pink lips. She was absolutely stunning, as a girl or boy, and she had chosen to be a page.

This girl page intimidated Eleni. Here was a girl who faced everything that Eleni was trying to avoid. She wasn't afraid of fighting back, of facing obstacles and the ever criticising conservatives. How could she even bear to look at her and not see her cowardice staring right back?

"Pier, don't be rude. The little one is right here, as I'm sure you know." Having jokingly rebuked her, Alexander turned to Eleni. "You'll have to excuse her," he said in a loud whisper. "You'll have to excuse her, because she has the personality of a rock." He laughed again. Eleni was getting used to his laugh, it didn't scare her anymore. "Pier, dear, would you care to introduce yourself?"

"What do you think?" She may have been beautiful, but Alex wasn't lying. She had all the charm of a boulder.

"I think many things, but I won't play games any longer." Once more his arm came around Eleni's shoulders. "Myles, this young lady is the lovely Pierina of Stone Mountain and Fallen Wall, the woman for which all of out hearts beat. She is beauty incarnate and the flower we must all strive to protect and honor." The boy had the charm to be a professional player, if knighthood didn't work out. "You'll get to know her very well, I assure you."

Pier had turned progressively more red with every word the Alex said. Just as she was going to lash out, Lord Paidrag entered the dining hall. All of the pages rose from their seats and waited for the traditional prayer.

"To Mithros, god of warriors and of truth, and to the Great Mother Goddess, we give thanks for their bounty. Great Mithros, may you guide these young men in your care. Guide them to be the best they can possibly be, to be men who honor their sovereign. We ask this of Mithros, god of the sun."

"So mote it be," rang from the hall.

_That bastard! There is a girl here, two in fact! How dare he pretend that Pierina isn't as important as the boys!_Eleni was, to say the least, furious. To hear the Royal Training Master so callously emphasize the importance of male warriors in front of a girl page, and the grandchild of the famous Lioness, was clearly insulting.

She had been eating out of habit, she realized. Eleni's body had sat down, as obediently as any other in the room, including the nonchalant Pier, and gone through the process of eating. Having come back to herself, she waited for Alex to pause between spoonfuls.

"Why," she asked in a quiet whisper. "Did he say that? Was it necessary to insult Pierina like that?"

Alexander put his silverware and turned to fully face Eleni. Holding her gaze, he spoke loudly, "Pier, what is the purpose of women?"

The girl stopped dead. She slowly lifted her eyes to see what Alex was doing. "The purpose of a woman is to marry properly and advantageously for her family." There was no smile, nothing to suggest she was joking. The girl was serious.

Satisfied, Alex continued on, despite having attracted some attention to the conversation. "Do you understand now, Myles?" Eleni's eyes were still wide with shock. Alex merely sighed and turned back to his dinner. After a bite of bread, he noticed that Eleni wasn't eating. "Myles, eat. We'll all have a little talk about the proper place of womenfolk, after dinner."

She didn't like the sound of that. He was using that voice again, the silky one that made the hair on the back of her neck stand upright. _He's dangerous, _she thought. Fighting the knots that had formed in her lower abdomen, Eleni forced herself to eat half of her meal, before the bell chimed and signaled the end of dinner.

The end of her fascination with Alexander of Tirragen and Pierina of Stone Mountain and Fallen Wall.

As she walked out of the mess hall with them, a large boy, as large as a bear, fell into step behind Pier. The odds were bleak to begin with, now they were dismal.

_"Make sure ring the chapel bells at my funeral, Myles. I want to go with grandeur."_

_"Only you would, Eli. Don't worry, I'm sure there'll be bells ringing at your funeral."_

Eleni followed Pier and Alex into one of the many libraries on the first floor. The large boy walked in behind her and blocked the door. She was trapped and she knew it.

Alex walked toward her, stalking her, like a starved cat, into an armchair in the farthest corner. The back of her legs hit the chair and the combined forces of fear and gravity forced her into the chair. Content with his prey's position, Alex walked around to the back of the chair and placed one firm hand on each of her shoulders.

So only Pier was left. She was the ringleader. She was her jailer.

_Oh, if only you knew how right you'd be, Myles._

* * *

**Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed. Some are really inspiring. Than you!**


	8. Saving the Maiden

"Now, little one," she began. It was so wrong, that voice beautiful voice should not have been coming from someone with such cold and furious eyes. "You seem to have some glorified misconceptions about women."

Eleni moved to get up and explain, but Alex was much too strong, and an actual growl from the large boy silenced her.

Pier was not did not like that. Without even looking at the boy, she shouted, "Artan, you savage, you dishonor your name! Be silent, until I say otherwise."

The young page was scared. No one had warned her about anything like this. What these pages were doing went beyond teasing and scaring her, the acts were bordering on life threatening. Eleni couldn't escape, if she even tried, she wouldn't get past Alex, Artan, and Pier. Alex alone could probably cripple her.

"Look at me, boy!" Pier had been speaking to her, while she had been thinking of escape. "Women are useless, do you understand that? Regardless of what they do they are always roped back into their proper roles." She began to pace, occasionally looking at Eleni. "Look at your dear grandmother, and at Lady Keladry. They were made wives and mothers, ladies of the court. All of their training was pointless and damaging. They ruined everything for this country!"

Eleni tried to speak again, but only managed to squeak when Pier glared at her. Tired of the fidgeting Pier approached the younger page, her sadistic personality gleaming in her steely eyes. Her hand was poised to strike Eleni, when the door was forced open and Artan thrown off balance.

An older page stood in the doorway. He looked like someone who could make you smile with his kind brown eyes, but at the moment they were blazing. The boy brought himself up to his full stature and walked past the fallen Artan.

"Fallen Wall, you know better than to treat the new pages like this. Tirragen, let the lad go." No one moved. Eleni was too frightened to move, and the boy had to pry Alex's hands off of Eleni. Pierina seethed quietly and just watched the boy lead Eleni to the door, however, her stance warned of possible retaliation.

"Watch out for dark corridors, Legann. You can't get lucky two times." The boy walked right past Pier for the second time, all the while pushing Eleni through the door.

The boy quietly herded Eleni down the hall, only too aware of how frightened the page was. Without ceremony, he pushed open her door and locked it behind them. Still controlling her body, he forced her to sit on the bed.

Eleni was looking at the boy with glassy eyes, the very idea that she could have been hurt had her paralyzed.

"Enough, Pirate's Swoop," he said. When Eleni still didn't come to, he resolved to gently slapping her on the cheek. "Come on, lad, it wasn't that bad." No response. Sighing, he turned around, only to come back at Eleni, a dagger in hand.

Instinct took over, and Eleni raised her left arm to shield herself and grabbed the dagger with her right. The pain broke through the fear and she let out a sharp cry.

"That's better, little one." Content, the boy set to staunching the blood with a handkerchief. "I am Percival of Legann, Perci for short, and you are very lucky."

Her mind reeling from the night's events, Eleni had no control of her tongue. "Why? I was stabbed by someone claiming to help me."

"Technically you grabbed the blade," he chuckled, "So it was you who stabbed yourself."

She had had enough. She had been kidnapped, bound, pushed around, threatened, and stabbed. No one had said anything about this. Honor or no honor Lord Paidrag had to be informed. She hadn't taken two steps when she was pushed back down to the bed.

"Where do you think you are going, Pirate's Swoop?" Perci's eyes were blazing once more. Before Eleni could answer he was already speaking, "Let me guess, please. You were going to tell our Lord Paidrag about the hazing?" She didn't respond and he continued, "He won't care. No one acts against Fallen Wall, the damn black widow."

That was it. Yes, the girl was insane, dangerous even, but she was a noble lady that should have been respected. Eleni punched him. Dumbstruck, he remained silent, and she took the chance to speak, rather than be spoken to.

"What gives you the right to speak about a noble lady that way?" The anger was unimaginable and undeserved.

Thankfully, one of the two was capable of keeping their head. "It's the truth."

"Don't say that!"

Sighing, he seemed to do that a lot, Perci forced Eleni back to the bed and kept her pinned. "Listen to me, and listen well, Fallen Wall is nothing more than a viper waiting to strike at anyone who gets too close." Eleni open her mouth to defend her fellow woman, and Perci put his hand over her mouth. "Didn't I tell you to listen? The girl killed her husband after a month. She sponsored a female page the year before, and the girl left after a week."

Since Eleni had stopped struggling, he got off of her. "You should be thanking me, you know. And you should also avoid Tirragen, I don't think he's a very sound choice for a page sponsor."

"What do I care about what you think?" Eleni was bitter. In less than a day, she had been manhandled more than a Lower City whore, and she did not like it.

Another sigh. "Because, I never walked into a trap set up by a woman."

And just like that she was alone. Until Perci slammed the door open. Eleni was set to fight off the invader, until she realized who it was and relaxed. That was the wrong thing to do.

"Moron," he spat after having punched Eleni the stomach. "You either learn or you die. I suggest you lock your door, especially when you've angered four older and stronger pages."

Moving as quickly as her aching ribs would allow, Eleni locked her door and slid to the floor. She cried that night, never getting off of the floor. When fear and a weary body finally won control, she fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning light, things were not much better. Dreams of crying children and wailing women had plagued Eleni the whole night.

_Just what I needed. More reminders of the dishonest failure I am._

Her unconscious mind wasn't the only mess she had on her hands. Her torso was a giant bruise, courtesy of Perci, and her back and neck muscles were a knotted mess, thanks to the night spent on the floor. Eleni limped over to her trunk and pulled out a moderately sized mirror, a birthday gift from her father.

_Bet he never imagined this is what I would be using it for. _She let out a scornful laugh, and set the mirror on top of the trunk. As carefully as possible, she lifted her shirt to reveal the gift the ever gracious Perci had bestowed her with. The bruise was ugly. And painful. There was no way around it, then.

As much as she hated acknowledging her gift, there were times when it was very useful. As she healed her poor ribs, Eleni reflected on the day her brother had fallen from a tree branch.

* * *

_"Look, Eli!"_

_Myles had managed to get to the top of the tallest tree in Queen Dove's courtyard. He had been young, only five years old._

_"Come down, right now, Myles!" Eleni had been only ten minutes younger than her brother. "I'm telling Mama!"_

_"You can't she and Da left for the week!" He was beyond elated, the rapture of being so high up had made him giddy._

_"Then I'll tell Auntie Dove!"_

_"No! Don't, Eli!" In his haste get out of the tree, he fell._

_Eleni's shriek had permeated the palace air, demanding the attention of its inhabitants. They had gathered like vultures, to watch her brother die._

_She pushed away the insincere murmurs, and tried to save her brother. It was difficult, she had never had much training to develop her gift, but she managed to keep him alive._

_Just as Myles eyes opened, hers closed. Desperation had driven her to exhaustion, and that in turn had driven her to do something that was very dangerous. The healers said that she had been reckless, her parents said they had both been reckless, but Eleni was sure the fault lay with her._

_She had baited Myles, it had been her fault that he had fallen, her fault that the courtiers saw him and the healing, saw her collapse._

* * *

Eleni knew that the shadow that had held her close in her sleep that day had been the Black God, the god of death. She had vowed to never use her gift again, not with the possibility of death so close. That time, a woman in blue had saved her from the shadow's clutches. She didn't know if she's be that lucky a second time.

Finished with healing her ribs, Eleni let out another scornful laugh. _I'm a liar and a hypocrite. Aren't I a shining example of chivalrous knighthood?_

Disgusted with herself, she set out to getting ready for the day. By the time the bell had rung, she was ready for the day and for the four pages from the night before. Confident that she could prove them all wrong, and do it as a boy, Eleni stepped outside of her haven.

"Good morning, Myles!"

She had not prepared herself for him. Schuylar of Nicoline, the fool.

* * *

**I thought I'd end on a lighter note. Sorry guys but I have a few exams coming up, ew to college, so the next update will take a week or so.**


	9. Tolerating the Fool

**I know I'm horrible. Sorry again. I had a bunch of reports and exams in the last two weeks or so. Even now I'm trying to study for my Oceanography exam. I hope this can make up for the wait.**

* * *

Stifling a groan that could have been caused by pain or exasperation, Eleni did as custom dictated and gave her neighbor a passive "Good morning".

And still Schuylar the Fool wouldn't stop grinning. That damned smile was fixed onto his face and no amount of glaring could diminish it. Just as she was reaching her wit's end, Warren of Dunlath, the fool's sponsor, stood before Schuylar.

Warren was a lagre boy, but there was not an ounce of fat on the boy's body. His body was all muscle, thanks to years spent on training in his home fief and the two years he had trained under Lord Paidrag. Thankfully, he didn't get the Training Master's personality, as evidenced by his warm smile.

The boy was kind, there was no doubt about it, considering that he had let Schuylar live after spending a day with the buffoon. Warren was a good page sponsor, and had made the new page feel welcomed.

As the two boys joked with one another, the icy claws of dejection began to wrap around her heart. Her sponsor had tried to kill her. Why, she had no idea, but she did know that she would never go near him again. Even now, as her eyes searched for him, she knew that last night had been real. The bruises certainly were, so the rest of the night must have been.

There he was, the little viper, waiting with his master and fellow lackey. Although, looking back, Eleni thought that maybe, just maybe, there might be a power struggle between the two lads. Both were loyal dogs of the girl page, and both looked capable of becoming rabid at her command.

"Myles," a gentle voice called, pulling Eleni out of her mind and back to the real world. Warren had been speaking to her.

Turning red from the embarrassment of being caught while drifting, Eleni apologized profusely. "I'm sorry, I was not paying the proper attention to an olde-"

"Don't be so serious, Myles!" The fool was touching her. He was leaning his taller, and heavier, frame on her delicate shoulders. It hurt, but Eleni didn't notice. No, not when the bumbling moron had the nerve to touch her so casually.

"Get off me." It was a tone that was easily recognized on the Islands. It was the same tone her mother used while interrogating spies. It was the only warning people ever got. Schuylar was born lacking common sense. Just before Eleni lost her temper, Warren stepped in.

"Let him be, Schuylar." Warren was a kind soul. Who he saved in that instant was not clear, but he probably saved both pages. "Pirate's Swoop," was all it took to get Eleni's focus. "I heard that Tirragen will be unable to perform his duties as a sponsor properly." Her eyes flew to where the damn snake was laughing with Pier. "If it would not bother you, and since Schuylar has agreed, would you mind sharing a sponsor?"

And so, with a small shake of her head and a happy smile, Eleni went off with the two boys. Breakfast was a peaceful affair, with Eleni's only worry being protecting her food from Schuylar's wandering fork. Warren was proving a very good sponsor, carefully answering the questions his two charges had, even if some of them were less than meaningful.

Through Warren's gentle guidance the two new pages managed to take care of all manner of tasks, not least of which was getting regular and formal page clothes. The seamstress and her two assistants caused both pages to turn bright red with their teasing. That their joint sponsor was there to witness the teasing did not make the situation any better.

Schuylar, being as lanky as a willow, had to have all of his uniforms taken in drastically. The poor lad had to stay still as one of the assistants pinned his tunic, all the while commenting on his physique.

"Don't they feed lads anymore?" Giggles sounded from the other two women. "Don't worry, lad, I'm sure that you'll fill out your clothes in time."

"Jane, let the boy be." Though Warren had a traitorous grin set on his lips, he did feel sorry for the poor boy. Gods knew it was torture when these women saw fit to tease. "The boys will grow soon enough. Did you forget what I looked like two years ago?"

"Begging your pardon, my young lord, but I recall a small devil who would let us fit his clothes. I suppose you have grown in the past few years." A wicked grin passed by Jane's lips. "Although now you are nothing more than a larger devil."

As more giggles sounded and Warren turned red along with his charges, Eleni realized that her turn was soon approaching. With a wink from the assistant, Schuylar was finally allowed to hide behind his sponsor.

Eleni let out a sigh and let the women prod and pin her clothing. It was embarassing to hear the comments, but the process itself was nothing new. Women, even little women, were always being fitted for one dress or another.

"You're pretty quiet lad, not shy are you?" More giggles. It seemed that the pages were to be the day's entertainment. Eleni was nobody's fool, that profession could be left to Schuylar. "Come on, lad, won't you give us a pretty word?"

"My mother always had my clothes tailored. " Silence. Blessed Mithros, how sweet silence could be! "My sister and I did this many times. I've learned not to argue." Eleni's words sobered the room, at least for the few minutes it took to finish altering her clothes.

However, by the time they were finally able to leave, the women were back to their happy chatty selves, and the pages were trying to leave as quickly as possible. As Warren led the way back to the pages' wing, Schuylar felt the need to fill in the silence.

"You have a sister, Myles?"

"A twin." Eleni did not feel up to talking. She had barely managed to get the women to be quiet, and now the fool felt the need to speak. _Why, Mithros? I liked him quiet._

"Are you the older or younger twin?"

"Older." _Well,_ she thought_, Myles is older than me, if only by ten minutes._

"Any other siblings?"

Aggravated by his consistent prodding, Eleni let out a disgruntled noise. "Two younger brothers, also twins, a mother and father, a murder of crows that live in the palace courtyard, and a dog that my sister is now caring for. Anything else, Schuylar of Nicoline?"

"Favorite color?"

Schuylar knew he was tempting fate, but he never expected Eleni to tackle him to the ground. He never expected something so small to be able to knock him off his feet.

Acting as if it was an everyday occurrence, Warren pulled Eleni off of Schuylar. "Now now, boys. Play nice or you won't get to play at all."

Warren knew that taking on the quiet Myles while already having the inquisitive Schuylar would cause some friction, but he never imagined that Schuylar would annoy Myles so readily. In his opinion, Myles needed to learn patience and Schuylar needed to learn how to control his tongue. Both pages left much to be desired.

"If you refuse to get along, I will refuse you my company and banish-"

"Who would want your company?"

"Schuylar you can stay in your room until dinner." For once, Schuylar's ready smile faltered. "Now, Schuylar. You will learn obedience and you will learn respect." As the dejected boy walked away, Warren called after him, "I do it because I care!" It didn't make the punishment any better.

"Are you going to say anything, Myles?" Warren half hoped that the little page would say something smart, but only recieved a small shake of the head from the girl. "You can speak, you know."

"Mother taught us respect." She had. Aly Crow was a reknowned woman, wife, and mastermind. One did not cross her, as her children learned early on.

"You just tackled another page onto the floor," he reminded her with a grin.

Letting out her first laugh since arriving at the palace, Eleni corrected her statement, "Mother taught us respect for those who are our superiors."

Warren couldn't deny the smile he had. The girl was quick, that was for sure. Maybe, just maybe, Myles of Pirate's Swoop would make it past page training. He already had the wits, now if only something could be done about his size.

"Have you always been that scrawny?"

Put off by Warren's word choice, Eleni retorted in a way that was definitely less than respectable. "Have you always been so nosy? You're worse than Schuylar!"

The smile broadened and Eleni knew that she had done exactly what had Warren wanted. She had lost her temper.

"You, Myles have just granted me a free day. You are dismissed to your room until dinner." A wave later, he was walking back down the hall to a farther staircase. "You are to remain there until I come to collect you and Schuylar."

Dumbstruck at how the day had turned out, Eleni trudged her defeated self back to her room, unaware of the predatory eyes that watched from an alcove.

* * *

**Sorry I could do more. I promise that after this horrible "let's test the students thorugh essays at the same time" phase dies, that there will be a nice chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Warning the Target

On the first official day of page training, a sunny Monday morning, Eleni woke up, not bruised, but happy. Though she had been banished to her room the afternoon before, by dinner Warren was refreshed and willing to deal with both pages again. That didn't mean that Eleni and Schuylar were ready to be together again.

He was afraid of the hellion that had attacked him earlier, and she was still easily annoyed by his questions. Needless to say, Warren was forced to act as a physical barrier between them. Despite the less than joyous seating arrangments, Warren managed to keep things happy and light, with a little help from his friends.

Seating across from the troublesome trio, were four pages, one of them, Devin of Disart, a fellow first year. The other three were Simon of Kennan, a second year page and Devin's sponsor, Varick of Storm Pass, a third year, and Herne of Tirrsmont, a fourth year. They had no problems, and soon their infectious laughter got the better of Eleni.

Because the company she had this night, Eleni had an enjoyable dinner, often comparing it to the poor company she had the night she was assaulted. Throughout the entire dinner, her eyes had kept wandering over to Alex and his "friends". Eleni still couldn't understand what had possessed them to act as they had.

On the way back to her room, Varick pulled her aside and asked if they could speak in private. Wary of any possible new enemies, Eleni nonetheless invited him back to her room. No sooner had she closed the door than Varick was speaking in a jumbled mess. She knew that once he got rid of the excess energy, he'd be able to communicate properly, and so she merely watched from her bed, wondering what was running through his mind.

"You should leave," he finally said.

When she was finally able to speak, all that she could say was a single croaked word, "What?"

"Myles, you should leave the palace." Eleni was actually relieved. He hadn't figured out that she was a girl, he just wanted her gone. "Pieri has marked you." When she didn't reacted, Varick elaborated, "For death, Myles."

"And you know this how?" She refused to believe it, any of it. Yes, Pierina of Stone Mountain and Fallen Wall was unbalanced, but she couldn't be capable of murder.

"Perci told us." Eleni's violet eyes narrowed, Varick quickly explained, "Don't be angry, Myles. Perci meant no harm."

"So assaulting me and then telling you all how I was trapped was just a fun game?" They all knew. What kind of a knight did she expect to be if she couldn't detect a lie? An obvious lie, by the way people were reacting.

"We've been on the lookout since last year, Myles." He hesistantly made his way to her bed and sank down, defeat clear on his features. "Pieri sponsored a girl last year. I thought it meant she was getting over her hatred of women, but I was wrong. I didn't notice what was happening to the poor girl, to poor Maire."

He was crying now. In front of a person who was practially a stranger, this boy had chosen to relive a nightmare, one that was obviously eating away at his soul.

"Marie left?"

Wiping away tears, Varick continued, "No, she didn't leave."

"But, you said-"

"She is no longer in the palace, Myles, because she was found a bloody mess after one week of training. Pieri did it. We all knew, but there was no evidence to present to Lord Paidrag."

"What happened to her? To Marie?" She needed to know. If Pier had marked her as her next target, Eleni need to know the exent of the possible damage. She needed to be prepared and to watch out for signs. Last night could not have been the only attempt.

"Her father took her home. She was out of it the entire time, from when Perci found her to when her father came for her. She never had a chance to request to stay. Peiri made sure of that." Varick wasn't crying anymore, but the remorse was still in his voice, in his eyes.

"You blame yourself, don't you?" Her mind raced to last night, when Perci had been so crossed by her lack of caution. "Perci feels responsible, too, right? Why? What could any of you of done?"

The initial resolution that he had had when came up to her that evening had returned. "Pieri had a difficult childhood. She was unwanted, you know. Her father, Lord Buchard of Stone Mountain was a difficult man to please, and a female heir was not enough to make him happy. Having any children at all at his age should have been a blessing. Having another child, regardless of her sex, after losing his only son should have made him praise the gods for the rest of his life, but he was a vile man."

The remorse was gone, in its place stood a hatred so strong that Eleni felt the need to shift away from Varick. She feared that in his rage he would forget the present, and lash out at her. But he was gone, the past had taken him.

"Her mother died giving birth to her, that was probably it. All the remnants of his once perfect life were scattered with her birth. Pier grew up in a household full of the screams of women, none of them capable of bearing a living child for that man. Nine women died in that cold castle, and nine coffins were paraded past Pieri.

"Her father couldn't stand to look at her, and when she learned to walk around and accidently run into him, he had had enough. She was often sent away to the neighboring fief, Stormy Pass."

"Your fief, you knew her before you came to the palace." At least now she knew where his endless fountain of information was coming from. They had been raised together, perhaps there had been a time when Pier had not hated everything in the world.

"Yes, I knew her. My parents, despite their dislike of Lord Buchard pitied the poor child and agreed to foster her and keep her out of his sight. But the Pieri I knew, the happy girl who danced with me to the sound of an empty room is gone."

There was an akward pause in his story. Eleni could not help wonder how much of Varick was gone as well. The tears were back in his eyes.

"They took Pieri away from me when we were only eight years old, married her to a man old enough to be her father. They made me think she had died, and when I saw her again, here of all places, I knew that she really had died. Her eyes were dead. Her soul stolen by the malice that bred her. By the time she came to the palace to train as a page, my Pieri had died and Pier had taken control."

"And Alex and the large boy?" Pier had her reasons, but what motivated her lackeys?

"Artan of Bjorn is a third year like Pieri and I, he sponsored Tirragen because Pieri told him to."

_So the large one, Artan, has seniority, but Pier wanted Alex for her inner circle. _"But why does she hate me? What could any of them have against me? I'm not a girl." _Mithros, she has every right to hate me, if I'm honest about the whole thing._

"Well, Artan is simple. Loyal as a dog that one, if only to Pieri." A funny look, almost incredulous, appeared in Varick's green eyes. "You really don't know why Tirragen could hold a grudge against you?" Before Eleni could shake her head, the bell signalling lights out was rung. "That is a tale for another time, young one. Keep in mind everything I've said. Don't begrudge Pieri, but don't hold her close to your heart either. Caution should be your best friend here."

And he was gone. Eleni half expected Varick to rush into her room like Perci had, but this one seemed kinder. Still, he advocated caution, and she did not feel up to healing new bruises. The door locked she had headed off to bed with more information than she cared for.

But none of that mattered now, on the bright morning that prophesied a good first day of training. She would not be weighed down by the troubles of another. Though she felt sorry for all of the wrongs life had dealt Pier, Eleni refused to get close to her. A nest of vipers could only breed a viper, after all.

As Eleni was getting dressed, she made a resolution. Pier, regardless of the circumstances, had let her bitterness and hatred control her. Eleni would not let herself become that, she would try her damnedest to be as chivalrous as her Grandmother Lioness.

The first order of business for the day was to apologize to Schuylar, and to tolerate his questions when his inquisitive nature returned. She had sensed it budding again at dinner, and Eleni guessed it was only a matter of a few hours of human company before he was spouting questions and silly comments.

_Mithros, help me. I want to do right by you. Please, help me get through this. Trickster, I wouldn't mind some help from you, either._

Satisfied with her attire, and convinced that it hid her nonexistent feminine figure, Eleni put on a happy smile, and prepared for a day of beatings and lectures. She could hardly stay still.

* * *

_He was laughing, and he wasn't being subtle about it. "If it was my charge, I would have damned her by now."_

_She was livid. Asking Mithros for help she could understand, but the Trickster? "Of all the gods she can plead to, she chooses that idiot?" Her brother continued to chuckle unabashedly._

_"She is part crow."_

_"And a full woman. She is my charge before she is his!"_

_She was really livid, and the mortals below could tell that at least one god was not happy, and that they were in for plenty of lightning in the days to come._

* * *

**I didn't know if I would get through this one, but I thought that you guys should know why and how the little psycho came to be. Hope you enjoyed it! Yes, I am avoiding Philosophy homework, once again. **


	11. Mourning the Scholar

Eleni was sprawled out on her bed, catching her breath from her latest healing. Her first day of page training had been everything she had expected. Everything and more.

Warren had explained the schedule that would be Eleni's life for the next four years. Her mornings would be dedicated to rigorous physical training. After a midday meal, all of the pages would attend lessons taught by Mithran priests.

Eleni was sprawled out on her bed, catching her breath from her latest healing. Her first day of page training had been everything she had expected. Everything and more.

Warren had explained the schedule that would be Eleni's life for the next four years. Her mornings would be dedicated to rigorous physical training. After a midday meal, all of the pages would attend lessons taught by Mithran priests.

"After the useless classes, we get to the fun stuff!" Schuylar had been scandalized by Warren's disregard for literature and mathematics. Warren didn't care and continued on, "After mathematics, Master Radzimierz teaches us history, he-"

His words faltered, and he hung his head low. Eleni thought she heard him say a quick prayer before he looked at her. And then Schuylar looked at her. Both had the same sorrowful look in their eyes. And then she finally understood. Great-grandfather Myles had previously taught history. And now he didn't.

Some would have called her shameless for not mourning her great-grandfather, a man who had given his all to the kingdom, but her family never did. Eleni had met the original Myles when she was one year old. All she could recall was a warm voice and sure arms that wouldn't put her or her twin down for a moment. Eleni's great-grandfather visited the isles a total of three times, the last one being the one where he met his great-grandchildren.

Then the Black God took him. Those who had been close to the family had expected it for over a year. The original Eleni had fallen ill and died a month before the twins were born. Thus they were named for the two relatives they might never know. But Eleni had had her time with her great-grandfather, and the family had agreed that the time for mourning had passed. Great-grandfather Myles was together with his loving wife in the Realms of the Black God, and nothing would tear them apart again.

"Great-grandfather Myles has been gone for a while. I wasn't three yet, when he passed away, and my family has mourned and so has everyone else. Please, don't feel the need to do so all over again because of me."

After that rather uncomfortable exchange on their way to breakfast, the day got better for Eleni. When they sat down, Varick and Herne were already seated, Simon and Devin were nowhere to be seen. Right before the bell sounded, Simon and Devin came dashing in. A minute later, Lord Paidrig began his morning prayer.

As the boys started to eat, Eleni saw the bruise that was forming on Devin's right cheek. "What is that?" She knew that the easily distracted boys would want to know too. " There's a similar bruise on your left cheek, Simon. What happened?"

Herne saved the younger pages from answering. Without looking up, he told them, "If the little one's bruise is on his right, then I'm assuming Artan didn't like the way he was looking at Pier. As for Simon, Tirragen is my guess." The boys' downcast eyes confirmed Herne's explanation.

A heavy silence hung over the table as everyone went back to their breakfast. Everyone, but Eleni. "Why? Why do you assume it was Alex?"

Varick chose to answer her. "Tirragen doesn't have the greatest reputation, and-"

"So he must have done it?" Her voice was rising and she knew that the others thought her daft for defending him.

"No, that means that Tirragen earned his reputation all on his own by doing exactly what we assumed he did."

"That doesn't make any sense! You're judging him befor-" Warren put his hand on hers, the one that had unconsciously gripped her knife.

"Let it go, Myles. Tirragen has earned our mistrust, and we refuse to give any of them a second chance."

The slight episode aside, the morning progressed splendidly. That is, until they arrived at the training yard. Lord Paidrig, in all glory, had devised a new method of training, surely meant to torture new students. It appeared to Eleni that Lord Paidrig was an old advocate of the hazing system. Why else would he make new pages learn their staff work from older pages?

And because the gods adored her so, Eleni was lucky enough to be paired off with Piers' bulldog, Artan of Bjorn. Two night ago, she had not been able to get a good look at him, but in the morning sun, she could she the benefits to keeping someone like him around. The boy was as big as a bear, and he was only a third year!

By the end of staff work, Eleni was convinced that the whole of the training staff hated her, and they didn't even know she was girl. Neither of the two instructors, stuffy and conservative knights, paid Artan's overzealous hits any attention. If they thought that pairing her up with a left-handed giant would make the Lioness' grandson run, then they didn't know that crows were both tricky and creative. Eleni could use her left hand just as well as her right one.

It seemed that the instructors had done pairing on purpose, and they were sorely disappointed when they saw Eleni switch her staff over to her left hand. They were even more disappointed when she held her ground. In fact, they had the audacity to yell at her when she hit back just as hard and made Artan stumble.

Archery was another matter comepletely. Eleni's skill rested with the bow, and she let her talent show that morning. Which

Needless to say, her instructors were less than pleased.

"Modesty is a grand virtue in a knight, Pirate's Swoop," said Sir Asher of Mourning Pass.

Eleni did not care for his sense of modesty one bit. The man walked about with his pride on his sleeve, literally! Why any training instructor would come to practice in a brocaded satin tunic was beyond her comprehension. At least, until she saw that he made of Sir Morven of Berm do all of the physical teaching. Gods forbid that Sir Asher should touch a page!

_Honestly, I will never understand these conservatives._Her first six arrows hit the bullseye. While watching poor Sir Morven run around correcting stances, she managed to get five more perfect shots. _Look at the poor idiot, following the fat one's orders like a pathetic lapdog._

Her twelth arrow missed by a hair. Eleni didn't it, she knew she had plenty to still learn about the bow. She was fine with that, until Sir I-don't-really-do-any-work-but-I-can-yell-at-you-all-I-want opened his mouth.

"Apperently Pirate's Swoop will learn humility the hard way. His marksmen skills are still lacking."

Although she was tempted to show the conservative twit just how good her aim was, she saw the pleading look that Warren was sending her from down the line. Humility, then, was the road she chose. With just a drop of mischief.

"Forgive me, Sir Asher." She covered up a small giggle as Warren put a hand over his eyes. "Perhaps you could demonstrate how it is properly done, I would be honored if you did." It was moments like these that showed the player blood running through her veins. "Please, Sir Asher?"

Of course the fat knight could not do it, but rather than show his lack of skill, he merely labeled Eleni as a disruptive individual and sentenced her to two hours of extra practice, come Saturday morning. Warren was still covering his face in defeat.

On the way to the baths, Warren only had one word to say to Eleni, "Why?" His tone was so sad, so dejected, that all his two pages could was laugh at him. It did not make anything better. "Why did you insist on making the man angry?"

Fighting her laughter, Eleni managed to choke out, "Didn't you see his face?"

And Warren started chuckling, too. "Fine, I admit it was funny, but you have punishment duty, on your first day no less."

"I know, but the extra practice can only make me better." Now back inside the palace, Eleni knew that she had to get rid of the boys. "You know, I forgot something back in my room. Go on without me."

The boys didn't argue, and Eleni was able to bathe quickly in her own room. At lunch she told the boys that she had found it more comfortable to bathe in her own room, and they left it at that.

If Eleni thought that the gods were cruel for leaving her to be beaten by Artan, she thought they were just being malicious for allowing such boring Mithran priests to educate the pages. The conservatives were bad, but it was possible to please them. These priests were touchy and assigned so much work that it would be impossible to finish it all.

As they made their way to the room where their history lesson would be held, Warren kept giving Eleni the same look he gave her before breakfast. After reassuring him twice more that she was over the death of her great-grandfather, the three pages found three seats together in the middle row. And at the bell's first peal, the most flamboyant man Eleni had ever seen stepped through the doorway.

Eleni had never seen someone so gaudy, and in the Copper Islands everyone was a little flashy. But this man was something else. His perfect flaxen hair was braided so that it draped over his left shoulder, and his clothes were more ornate than Sir Asher's.

_Mithros, don't ler this fop be Great-Grandfather's replacement._

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Radek Radzimierz, and I humbly welcome you to the world of History." He bowed. A player's bow. "I will not expect you all to keep up with me, no, never." He giggled and he set to rebraiding his hair. "But, please, do try to keep up with me."

_Good gods, a clown, they let a **clown **replace Myles of Olau. A clown!_

Warren had been afraid of Eleni's reaction, and now he knew that his fears were not unfounded. Not everyone adapted to Radek easily, in fact he aggravated most people. Ad it appeared to Warren that neither of his pages found him worthy of teaching.

It was a very long lesson, to say the least. Eleni swore to shave the man bald if he kept twirling his braid in class. How the king could let someone like that replace her great-grandfather she would never know. To be honest, the man did know his material, but his vanity wqas quite irksome. At least she had dinner to look to.

Dinner was not much better than class. Apparently, Shuylar was fixating on the blonde fop, and insisted on repesting the entire history lecture. On more than one occassion, Warren had to take Eleni's knife, and once her fork, for fear that she would gut the poor fool right there. Eleni was grumpy, though she did not admit it.

"Did anyone else think he was an idiot?" Silence, his year mates and the older pages were mortified. Even if they agreed with his opinion, one did not say that about any of the teachers. "I say we play with his hair dye."

"His what?" Herne of Tirrsmont was rarely confused, and when he was, he didn't like it.

"That bumbling blonde is not a real blonde." More confused looks from the silent pages. "I happen to have a mother, four sisters, six aunts, an annoying great-aunt, and a grandmother who refuses to look like a grandmother. I think I can recognize glamours and beauty elixers."

Devin of Disart had been fairly silent until this moment, and his first words, so to speak, were not what the pages expected. The small boy, though not as small as Eleni, had deceived them all with his golden honey eyes and little smiles. The boy was trouble.

And they liked it.

Simon was the first to recover this time, and, having been seated beside him for dinner, he gave the much smaller boy a oneover, then slung his arm around Devin's shoulders. "And you wanted to know why I picked the runt. The boy is worth my weight in gold."

That was how their plot was hatched. Herne and Schuylar were the only ones of their group, and therefore capable of ruining the mage's spells. After much goading on the part of Herne, Schuylar agreed to keep quiet, even if he wouldn't participate. Plans laid out, the group returned to their rooms quite happy.

All except for Eleni. Vartan saw fit to give her a last minute lesson, as payment for the humiliation he suffered during staff practice. But it was over soon enough, when Perci appeared at the corner of the hallway. Neither pages were enough to deter her happy continence.

At the end of the night, Eleni was just happy to have lived through her first day, even if it meant healing a black eye.

* * *

**Sorry this took so long. Once again, college reared its ugly head and demanded attention. And fencing. Fencing required some love from me, too. BTW The Artan v Eleni situation is based on the evil nature of my fencing captain. He thinks its funny to pair the shortest fencer with the giant left-handed fencer. The only difference is that I'm not ambidextrous. But it is pretty realistic.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Seeing the Change

Eleni Crow was guilty, once more. She just could stay away from the mirror her grandfather had gifted her. Although, this time, she had a legitamite reason: her black eye. At least two people knew about her encounter with Artan, and though she had considered healing it herself, Perci was expected at the pages' study session in the Green Library. He would definitely wonder about the lack of color on her face.

Resigning herself to the unholy colors surrounding her right eye, Eleni gathered her books and headed out to meet her new friends. Having already forgotten how to find the Green Library, Eleni settled for openning every door in the north wing of the second floor.

_I know that silly room is near here. It has to be! Warren showed it to us, right after our mathematics lesson._ Sighing in frustration, Eleni rounded a corner and headed down a second hallway, intent on finding a servant to help her. She found no kind palace servant waiting for her in the hall, but Alexander of Tirragen was.

Smug, intriguing, and utterly dangerous Alexander, watching her with his electrum cat eyes. He had been waiting for her, it was evident in his relaxed position, casually leaning on one shoulder against the stone wall,f no more than five feet from the corner she had rounded. He just watched her, a tiny smile on his lips. Eleni found the smile positively feral.

Steeling herself against the fearful shivers running up and down her spine, she held her head high and marched right past him. She was just reached the first door on her left, tanned fingers wrapped around her wrist. The steel facade crumbled and the shivering showed. As she looked up to Alex's face, Eleni swore to the Goddess herself that the boy could have been a cat demon belonging to the Hag. As frightened as she was, a, surprisingly, gentle tug was all that was needed to redirect Eleni to the hallway she had come from.

"And here I couldn't get you to be quiet two days ago. What happened, Myles?" he asked. "Cat got your tongue?" Though chuckling at his own joke, he didn't miss the newest shiver from Eleni, but continued teasing her. "I found it quiet funny, the amount of racket you were making. And you mumble to yourself, did you know that? Sounded just like one of those giant animals - elephants- that the Carthaki Emperor keeps." Giving up on his self-imposed babbling, Alex stopped dead in his tracks, forcing Eleni to walk into his back. Turning to her, his words were sincere, "I'm sorry."

Mouth slighly gaping, all Eleni could do was stare. He apologized! _Well,_ she thought, _it's going to take a lot more than two little words to earn my forgiveness. I may not know the whole story, but this one's a snake. _Wrenching her forearm from his grip, she started back the way they had just come.

She heard him sigh, annoyed most likely, then call out. "The Green Library is back this way, Pirate's Swoop. It's the one on the right after the Blue Library." When she turned back to face him, he was leaning against the wall, the same way she had found him originally. The only difference this time was a satisfied smirk was marring his mouth.

An uncensored and traitorous thought crossed her mind, _He's too pretty for that look._ Promptly abolishing such thinking, she headed down the hall to the appropriate door.

"No show of gratitude, Pirate's Swoop? That's not very chivalrous, you know."

Her fingers on the doorknob, Eleni gave her response without turning. "Thank you for showing me where the Library was." His smile got even more smug. "But," she continued. "Do not think that I have forgiven you or your friends. I might never forgive you, not after what I learned about Marie. Please, leave me alone."

Without a look back at the gobsmacked boy, Eleni walked into the elusive Green Library and away from Alexander.

He, for his part, was pleased and his smile turned from despodent to genuine. Almost as if to himself, Alex whispered parting words to the fledgling lion, "Well learned, Myles."

Back in his original hall, Alex returned to the door he had been guarding unbeknowest to the younger page. And not long after his return to guard duty, Pier emerged from the room, Artan on her heels. alex didn't need to look insdide to know what had happened inside. Pier had let her sadistic side get the better of her. Another maid would be found in the morning, her hair slashed along with her face. Pier was merciless and cruel, and Alex had helped her get away with it. On one hand her had let this travesty occur, on the other hand, he had protected a younger page from walking into a trap.

"Did I hear doors slamming?" Pier asked while inspecting her sapphire-blue nails, her only vanity.

Alex felt as if she had ensnared his heart with those nails. Against all odds, he felt an attachment to the tiny page, and Pier would waste no time in sinking her claws into him. For reasons known only to the gods, Alex lied to Pier, for the first time in the history of their strange friendship.

"That was me," he replied in a casual fashion. "I thought I heard noise from the room down the hall, and went to investigate. Then I decided to check the others. Was it too much of a distraction?"

Not really caring about the whole issue, Pier waved it away. "Not at all, Alex." That haunting, sadistic grin was back on her face. "I only asked because she was so quiet that it allowed me to hear you. Oh well, shall we move on back to our rooms? By the way, would you assist Artan with his mathematics work," that wasn't a request. Alex knew it for the order it was. "The silly thing can't add to save his life." With a strangely effeminate giggle that resounded with glee, she glided away from the door with a lady's grace. Artan was, as always, on her heels.

Pushing himself off from the wall, Alex entered the silent room. Crumpled on the floor was a palace maid, a typical target of Pier's. As he set to healing the worst of the poor woman's injuries, Alex noticed something that distinguished her from the usual victims. The maid he was healing had once had long, red hair.

Alex had heard more than enough tall tales of Pier's initial cruelties towards the palace's female staff. Those women had been brunettes of tall stature. He would later see the famed Protector of the Small from afar and learn that she was a brunette, as well. By the end of his first year at the palace, Pier had moved on to torturing the small, blonde servants. All of them resembled Marie of Wellam.

And now her hate was focused on redheads. He should have seen it coming. Especially after her little power demonstration.

Knowing that he was going to have a difficult time clandestinely reigning in her malicious tendencies, he took care to not jar the woman. After setting her down in one of the room's chairs, he left the door open and headed off for Pier's bedroom. She had given an order, and he was compelled to obey.

* * *

**I am a cruel, cruel person. I am so sorry to everyone who waited for this chapter. My muse (and college schedule) is an unkind mistress.**

**Re-Posted 6-15-09. Had to do a tiny revamp on the chapter. A very kind reader pointed out a typo on my part, and I had to get rid of a few V's. Thanks!**


	13. Plotting the Scheme

When Eleni finally entered the Green Library, all of the boys had already arrived and seated themselves comfortably.

Schuylar and Warren were sharing a couch, an empty chair next to them. Schuylar was pestering Warren, begging him to reconsider their prank on Master Radzimierz, and Warren was trying to evade his pleas. Perci, Herne, and Varick each had individual armchairs, and were discussing something in quiet whispers. Devin and Simon were actually doing their homework, or rather Devin was tutoring and Simon was listening. Devin had taken up a chair and the much larger Simon was kneeling next to his chair, furiously copying down Devin's words.

Judging by the eclectic arrangement of the chairs, Eleni quickly deduced that the pages had commandeered every chair in the library for their own use and rearranged them to fit their needs. She hoped this wasn't a normal occurrence for them and pitied the servants who had to fix the room later.

"About time," shouted Schuylar, quickly making his way towards Eleni. A foot away from the girl and his arms outstretched to hug her, Schuylar found a small, booted foot an inch away from his stomach. Frozen in place, he stared at the tiny redhead, as did the rest of the boys.

As for Eleni, she had done that little feat without meaning to. Her nerves frayed by Alex, she let her previous training from the Islands show, and instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry," she murmured in a shamed voice. Her head bowed in penitence, Eleni didn't know what to say. Until she felt Schuylar give her a bear hug. "Get off," she mumbled indignantly, shame forgotten. She told him before to never touch her!

"No chance," was his only reply as he dragged the smaller page to the chair next to the couch. Once free of his clutches, Schuylar was once again assaulted by Eleni's foot, but this time the kick connected with his shin. Yowling in pain, he retaliated by tickling her. :This will show you to attack me,

The other pages were dumbfounded by the spectacle. Astonished by the lack of decorum, Herne decided to break up the ridiculous moment. Unfortunately, Schuylar turned out to be just as ticklish as his captive, and a free-for-all wrestling match ensued. Somehow, all of the gathered pages, save Perci and Varick, had become involved in the playful fight. Until Percival saw fit to break up the tussle.

"All right, lads, enough is enough." No one bothered to listen. Resorting to his last offensive tactic to end things quickly, Perci unleashed his gift on the younger pages.

A pale yellow flame surrounded the pages, its heat growing in intensity until they stopped fussing. The three first year pages were clueless as to where the fire had come from, but the older pages knew. And Herne was not glad to have Perci ruining his fun, giving him a look fit for a petulant child.

"Stop being a spoilsport, Perci. These things are hot!"

"Can I trust you to act your age?" Perci had no intention of letting them out of his impromptu furnace until they could behave like knights-in-training. "Well," he pressed.

Sweltering from the heat, the pages started to call out to Perci, swearing to agree to all of his demands. He ignored their cries, he was intent on have Herne behave, because he was the oldest and should have known better.

"Fine," he conceded. "If I promise to behave myself, will you stop being a killjoy?"

The flaming circle instantly receded from the pages, only to remake its cage around Herne. No one argued with the older page and obviously powerful mage. Quietly taking their seats, the initial commotion that started the horseplay long gone from their minds.

Herne was not quiet, however. He continued to make ignoble noises and grumbled obscenities under his breath. At least, until Perci gave him a look that could cripple even the proudest of noble lords.

"Now that Sir Senseless has been subdued," he said as he sat back down. "Can we get down to business?" At Simon's bright eyes and Schuylar's hard set mouth, Perci clarified, "Our homework, boys. Whatever mischoef you're going to concoct, leave me out of it. I'll not be going before Paidrag because of your nonsense."

None of the boys complained and set to do their work. Some of the pages studied individually, only there to help their friends who found a certain subject challenging. Others, like Simon, were there because they really needed the help. Apparently, mathematics were not his specialty, nor was literature or history. Eleni found it surprising that he had no problem asking Devin for help, it seemed that the pair was well matched.

This only made her wonder all the more about her fail first attempt with her first sponsor. Where Warren and Simon were patient, kind, and fun-loving, Alex had been abtruse and grim. Had it been her fault that Alex acted that way? The others had insisted that he was just rotten, but he had helped her find the library when she needed help. What there something wrong with her? Her mind wandered, constantly coming up with different scenarios of what could have made her situation with Alex better.

"Myles?"

"Huh," was her artful reply.

Schuylar had apparently been speaking to her for quite some time. "Are you all right? You've been staring at that problem for the past ten minutes. Need any help?"

Spurning her desolate thoughts, she looked to Schuylar and nodded. "The third problem is a little difficult for me." It was a lie, but she had decided to make the best of this situation, to put behind her Alexander of Tirragen. These boys found her agreeable, at least to some degree, and that was all that mattered.

Another bell passed before all of the pages had finished their work. Or rather, until Simon had been tutored by everyone present and finally finished. And he was hard pressed to finish, as Perci had insisted that he had to finish his homework, and have it check over by Varick, before he could plan his escapade.

Once everyone had finished Perci collected his papers and walked out of the Library with a simple "Good night". The others remained, although Schuylar only stayed in an effort to convince the others to leave Master Radzimierz. No one would listen, least of all Eleni.

"Schuylar," she bellowed, stunning the boys with her ferocity. Ignoring the tiny blush of embarassment on her cheeks, she continued in a normal tone, "He's a clown. You cannot honestly say that he knew what he was doing."

"I agree," chirped up Devin. "He reminds me of my Aunt Mallory. And believe me, I want to get him before he starts waving a silk handkerchief in front of my face." He finished hi dramatic little speech by crossing his arms and pouting like a child who had been denied a sweet.

The older boys just had to laugh at Devin's pout. The boy didn't know how close to the truth he he was. Master Radzimierz was notorious for hiding his "lovely" orchid-dyed hanky until the second week of studies. He felt that it kept the pages on there toes to see new "marvels" every now and then. And they told the first years pages the truth.

The results were comical. Eleni paled, except for two fuchsia spots on her cheeks. Devin lost all color and curled his knees up to his chest. He just couldn't live through four years of the faux blonde dandy. Schuylar did not share his year-mates' reactions.

"I happen to like purple."

The pages who were not incapacitated by shock promptly pushed Schuylar out of the library and banned him from the meeting. They liked him, but if he was going to spoil their plans, he would have to wait outside until they were done. Schuylar did not go without a fight, but the older pages were stronger and he was clearly outnumbered.

It took them all of twenty minutes to finalize their idea. A handful of them would distract Master Radzimierz at the end of the lesson, while Herne, Devin, and one more page would sneak off to the fop's chambers. Once there, the third page would act as a sentinel, and Herne and Devin sniff out the beauty elixir Master Radzimierz used to bleach his hair. Herne would change the properties of the elixir with his gift.

All they had left to do was decide on a color. They all decided on absurd shades, but could not come to an agreement.

Herne was the first to voice his choice, and quite adamantly, too. "Purple! I've had that silly kerchief waved under my nose for years! If he finds it so fascinating, he won't mind have his hair that color."

While the suggestion was met with chuckles all around, Devin had another proposition. "Why not red?" At the simmering look he received from Eleni, he clarified, "Not like your hair, Myles. I meant flaming red, like a torch. He wants the attention, right?"

Varick didn't think it impressive enough. "How about-"

"Green," Eleni interrupted. She had been silent during the color disagreement, and had preferred to study the room they were in. "It's only fitting that we dye his hair a color that matches the room were we came up with the idea." _And green will make him look like the weed he is,_ she added to herself.

Not put off at all by the interruption, Varick quickly agreed, and the others followed suit. Eleni was right after all, green would serve as an honorable homage to their new hangout.

When they filed out of the room at the end of their planning, they had not expected Schuylar to still be there waiting for them. They hadn't expecting his consistent badgering, either. But they scheming pages were silent, never giving away a hint of the spectacular plot.

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**Hope you guys enjoyed this one. Life has been kind of hectic and this became an outlet. Comments of any sort would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to develop most of the characters, instead of making them filler for the plot. Tell me what YOU think! Keep on the lookout for the next chapter!**


	14. Comforting the Nerves

**This chapter is dedicated to RooenEnnyte, who gave an uplifting review, and to all those who have added the story to their alert list.**

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The next few days took on a steady pace, and the pages settled into an orderly routine. They hadn't pulled off their prank yet, no. No one wanted Schuylar on high alert, ready to warn his precious Master Radzimierz at the slightest hint that they were ready to pull it off. And so, Friday approached more quickly than expected.

After washing up for supper, Eleni was once again before her mirror, running her slender fingers through her sheared locks. Never one to confused for being as vain as the annoying teacher, but she was starting to miss her long hair. Realizing that there was nothing she could do about it for a long time, she set to brushing out her hair once more before dinner.

That was when she heard a knock at her door. Letting out a loud gasp, Eleni bolted upright. She still wasn't fully dressed!

The person on the other side of the door heard her gasp and chuckled quite boisterously. She let of a sigh of relief at the sound. Eleni would hate the man for a few more hours, but he would always be her best friend.

"Lokejo you are a dead man," she sqwauked, every bit the crow. She swiftly bound her chest and threw on her shirt and tunic. Taking one more look in the mirror, this time out of necessity and not vanity, she sprang for the door. The man wouldn't stop stop banging on the door and she was ready to tear the man's head off.

Eleni unlocked the door, only to have it slammed open by the brawny Raka. Lokejo gave Eleni a crushing embrace and lifted her off her feet, his usual way of greeting his young charge. Although she giggle, as was her custom, he kept her in his grasp and he carried her back into her room. Once there, he let her fall to her feet, even if it meant a fall of more than a few inches.

"Miss me?" The tone would have vexed Eleni had it come from anyone else, but Lokejo was different. The man had been her guardian since the day she had been born, and her best friend. At six foot eight, the man was an intimidating colossus, but he was nothing but a gentle, over-sized puppy to his tiny charge.

Pushing the big man away, and kicking his shin for good measure, Eleni walked to her dresser and began searching for her bruise balm. Lokejo had a history of forgetting his strength, and she knew she knew it would be better to take care of the bruises before they started to form. Once satisfied that her arms wouldn't be purple in the morning, Eleni took a good at Lokejo.

The immense Raka had sat at her feet, a habit that had evolved because of their height difference. Eleni had always complained that he was too tall for her to speak to him properly. And so, a sort of unspoken agreement had formed between guard and child. He was still his burly self, grinning at her with a toothy smile.

Ending her examination, she finally spoke to him, "And just what are you doing in Corus, Master Magcalas." Another habit of theirs. She would act the petulant child and he would act the part of stern keeper. They both had a penchant for play-acting. "I was under the impression that you were staying at the Swoop with the Lioness."

If possible, Lokejo's smile got wider, almost spanning from ear to ear. "My little dame, your dear grandmother wanted to see you as soon as possible. So I, your guardian, have been returned to you." He gave her a heartsick look and lowered his head in dejection.

Eleni knew better than to buy into his act and cuffed him. Then the whole of the tale sank in. "Tell me you're joking," she pressed her palms against her eyes, already feeling the headache to come. "The Lioness is here?"

Knowing that his mistress was becoming tense without having seen her grandmother, he ended their play and settled into his customary task: keeping Eleni out of self initiated trouble. "Calm down, little one." He ruffled her short, red hair. "She just wanted to see you is all."

"Does she suspect anything? Did you interrogate you? Will she make me go back?"

"If you get hysterical with me,** I**will personally put you on the first ship headed for the Islands." He handed her a bright red cloth, his handkerchief that was frequently handed to her in such times. "Are we ready to calm down?" Eleni furiously dabbed her eyes, and Lokejo was forced to do that task for her, fearing she would damage her eyes. "Now listen to me, little chick, and listen well. When I asked permission to come with you to this frozen country," Eleni let out a watery chuckle at his description of Tortall. "I made an oath to protect your dream, and I intend to fulfill that oath."

"Thank you, Lokejo." Eleni hugged her longtime friend's solid arm. "I'm glad that you came with me."

"Someone had to keep you out of trouble," he said, giving her face a final dab.

As he did this, the palace bell rang. Eleni jumped off her bed and ran to her washroom, raving about having only fifteen minutes to prepare for dinner. When she re-emerged, her face had been scrubbed free of tears. She kept looking in her mirror and kept fussing over minor details. The whole spectacle caused Lokejo to snicker at his young charge.

"You look very masculine, running that brush through your hair," he chuckled. Taking the brush from her firm grip, he set to fixing her clothing. "How have you managed for a week without me?" He gave her a firm nudge with his leg and pushed her towards the door. "Go to dinner. When you get back, I'll have put away the remainder of your belongings." At her less than amused look, he insisted again. "I promise to not expose your secret while everyone who lives in this hall is away at dinner."

Once composed, Eleni gave Lokejo a sidelong look, begged him to not mess up her room too badly, and headed off to dinner.

Closing the door after the wayward crow, and locking it for good measure, Lokejo cursed under his breath. "Trickster, you owe for this." As he set about making the bed Eleni had mussed, he thought back to the day he first met the girl. The task of organizing her dresser-turned-vanity made him remember the subsequent decade. He smiled at individual memories, and recalled why he was still looking after Eleni: the tiny girl was worth it. "On second thought, you don't owe me anything at all. Just keep me alive long enough to see her earn her shield."

Convinced that the room was tidy enough and that he knew where to store the new items, he set off to retrieve the five trunks full of belongings the girl had insisted on bringing. She might have wanted to play the role of male knight, but she still packed like a lady.

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**Another chapter, another piece of the plot. So glad to have so many people adding this story to their alert list, it only makes me want to type faster!**

**Interesting tidbit: Lokejo's surname is an authentic Filipino surname. I looked for a culture that seemed similar to that of the Raka, and I figured the Philippines was a good choice. The name Magcalas means "to unshackle" and comes from the Tagalog tribe, the second largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Just found that name fitting for a man whose people were once enslaved.**


	15. Demanding the Tale

**This one is for Emily who reviewed almost every single chapter and made me smile. Sorry I can't answer all of your questions, you don't have an official account I can respond to.**

It appeared to the already sitting pages that only a grandchild of the Lioness could run around and look dignified. Little did they know it was the crow blood in her veins that let her flit around so gracefully.

Eleni had barely sat down with her friends before Lord Padraig began his nightly speech. After the usually schpeel about how honorable it was to follow the warrior's way as set down by Mithros, surprisingly free of too much chauvinist dribble, the training master added a new segment to his speech.

"May you all come to serve our great kingdom the way our esteemed guest has. To serve one's country is the calling of all loyal knights, and I know that none of you would ever dishonor our ways."

Eleni, whose eyes had glazed over during much of the speech, came out of her trance at the mention of a guest. She had a sinking feeling she knew who the guest was, but didn't want to admit it to her frayed nerves. Her grandmother was an intimidating woman, and Eleni felt every time the Lioness looked at her.

Her friends were less than intimidated by the legend. Though only Perci had ever seen her in person, and that had been years ago, they all knew that the stout redhead at the high table was none other than Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, the Lioness and King's Champion. All of the pages in the hall were in awe at having such a legend with them.

All of the pages except three.

Eleni was merely scared out of her wits that her grandmother would see through her ruse any moment.

Alex was quietly fuming while he ignored the great hero. He had heard more than enough tales about the woman. Since the day he was born, his grea grandmother had told him of his grandfather, the late Alexander of Tirragen, and how the lady knight had slain him in cold blood and slandered his noble name. Alex wasn't sure how much of the old woman's story was true, but he knew enough from the reception he received upon his arrival at Corus. Tirragen was a cursed name, and it was all that woman's fault.

Pier, for her part, had never been as subtle as Alex, and her rage was clearly visible. Her once fair face had turned a less than lady-like maroon. To her, Alanna was the root of all of her family's woes. She was the instigator of the progressive movement and the reason that families like hers were frowned upon.

Despite their own worries, Eleni and Alex managed to put on a show of continuing their meal. Pier was not as skilled and would continue to stare at the Lioness for the whole of dinner.

Alanna was uncomfortable, to say the least. She had never eaten a meal in this hall since her own days as a squire, and those days were long gone. But she had to admit that it was refreshing to see so many eager, young faces ready to try for knighthood. Though she could not she her own grandchild's face, she saw a full head of red hair at a table with other pages. Alanna was glad that her Myles had made some friends, she knew they would make the trials of page training easier to deal with.

What was not easy to deal with was the fidgety lord on her left. Throughout the entire time she was in his company, he had squirmed uncomfortably, much like a caught rat. Alanna was starting to wonder just what Lord Padraig was guilty of.

"My lord," that made him jump, though only Alanna was close enough to see the movement. "Is anything amiss?"

The man started to sweat profusely. Proud conservative or not, the Lioness intimidated him, and it was easy to see. Though the sweat was now falling into his eyes, he made no move to wipe it off. He would not show weakness before a woman.

"Nothing is wrong, milady." He was not going to back down too easily. If the lady knight was going to fight, he would fight right back, even if he had to fight dirty.

Now the Lioness knew something was wrong. "You're nervous, Padraig," she whispered into his ear. "What have you done." There was no room for the scared lord to escape. "Speak."

"The table by the far wall. Look at the boy next to the girl." He had never thought that the Lioness would know what he had done until it was too late to change anything. Now he berated himself for letting her see Tirragen before he was a full-fledged knight.

"What are you babbling about," she mumbled while looking intently at the specified page. "There's nothing about him that would-" Her words failed her. Alanna's mind reeled back decades, back to the day she had no choice but to kill a man that had been her friend. Her mind was fogged instantly by the memories of the day, of the people who had died. "What have you done, Padraig?"

He was caught, and there was no point in lying to her. "Lady Cyne insisted that the boy be allowed to training for knighthood. The king had no qualms with it." The elderly matriarch of Tirragen was a formidable woman, and had demanded that her great-grandson be treated as any other son of the nobility.

Barely keeping her peace of mind, she responded, "Why was I not informed? Why did the king allow this!" The last question was a harsh whisper, the only outer indication of her inner turmoil. She couldn't wait for his answers. "What is his name." At his silence, she insisted again, "His name, Padraig!"

"Alexander, Lady Knight." He knew the battle was lost. Rather than scare the woman with the ghost, he had inflamed her. And Lord Padraig did not want to be burned. "I was told Lady Cyne raised him as a replacement for the son she lost. I was to ensure he became a knight at all costs, or she would proclaim the king as biased toward old wounds."

"How long has he been here?"

"This is his second year, and," here he hesitated. What would the Lioness do to him once she found out what else he had allowed?

"Speak." It was a command, and the training master's true personality showed.

"He sponsered your grandson." He was a dog, and this woman was barely controlling her rage. He knew it was only a matter of time before she lashed out.

"You allowed it?"

"Yes, Lady Knight."

Sensing his apprehension, she knew there was more to tell. "What else, Padriag? I suggest you tell me all. Now!"

"He is no longer sponsoring the boy. There was an altercation-" The Lioness had growled at his vague description of the event. "A fight, where Myles was injured. Warren of Dunlath now sponsors the boy."

She was content with what she knew, though far from happy with the situation. How Jonathan had allowed any of this to occur without telling her, or without George knowing, was beyond her understanding. Both men would receive a few choice words from the knight.

The palace bell rang and Lord Padriag dismissed the pages. Left alone in the dining hall with the apoplectic Lioness, he prayed that she would leave and take her fight to someone else, anyone else.

The gods were on his side, for once. When he turned to adress the lady knight, she had already disappeared.

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**I have to apologize for how long all of my updates are taking. Though I'm trying to get a monumental chunk of this story finished before I have to go back to school, I'm afraid I left my notes in a box in a city four hours aways. So, currently, part of my writing time is dedicated to reconstructing my story notes. :( Sorry again.**

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	16. Berating the Fools

Eleni had tried to get back to her room without any of the boys, but it seemed that boys liked to travel in packs. Or maybe it was just Schuylar, and he lacked survival instincts. Regardless of the reason why, she was stuck with the Fool and he followed her back to her room. Some would have argued that since Schuylar's room was right next to Eleni's, it would only make sense that they walk together.

Eleni Crow was not one of those people. In fact, she wished that Schuylar would stay far away from her for quite a long time. Because the boy could only talk about was Alanna the Lioness! It seemed that the faster she walked, the more determined he became to keep up with her and recount stories.

"And did you know that she was only twenty years old when she found the Dominion Jewel? They say she had to fight the spirit of the mountains itself to get it and the-"

"Don't you know when someone is walking away from you?" she shouted.

Schuylar was stunned into silence. He stood where he was and stared after the redhead, his mouth hanging open in shock. He would have stayed there if Warren hadn't come up behind him.

"Come on, Schuylar," he comforted. "I know you still have some work to finish tonight."

"He yelled at me." He was still stunned. Sure, Schuylar knew that there was no such thing as fraternal love between him and Myles, but he had never imagined him yelling at him lke that. "I thought we were getting along."

Warren pitied the younger page, but he knew the root of the yelling. "Do you have any legends in your family, Schuylar? A relative who ballads are sung about?"

"None that I know of," was the simply reply.

"Then you can't begin to understand how Myles is feeling. The Lioness of Pirate's Swoop is a great legend, a living legend. She's someone who-"

"I know," Schuylar exclaimed. "I know all about her and her feats! I was only retelling some of the stories, before Myles shouted at me."

The large boy was tempted to sigh in defeat. As intelligent as his young friend was, some aspects of civilized society were beyond his understanding. "Would you like to be reminded of a relative's greatness? At all times? By all people?"

Comprehension finally dawned behind Schuylar's eyes. "I was doing what people have always done to him. I-," his words faltered. "Gods, what have I done?"

"Nothing that a modest apology won't solve. I know Myles is probably sorry as well." Warren ruffled the boy's hair and added, "Now, will you cheer up and go finish your work?"

His words had the desired effect and Schuylar sped off for his room. Warren needed a book from the Blue Library and went back the way they had just walked. Truth be told, he had had no reason to head back to the wing where the pages were housed, but he had felt Eleni's unease. Warren knew the lion cub was a lit fuse waiting to go off, and only a fool like Schuylar was incapable of feeling the waves of agitation rolling off Myles.

Shaking his head at the emtional antics of his charges, Warren prepared for a night of independent study.

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While Eleni had been lashing out at one of her few friends, because of her frayed nerves, Alanna was proving correct the tales of her temper. Whether he was her knight commander, her prince, or her king, to Alanna, Jonathan of Conte would always remain a mortal man. A mortal man capable of making mistakes. And she was ready to show him what she thought of his latest one.

When she arrived at his private study, where she knew he spent the later portions of his nights, Alanna's face matched her hair. She was livid and braced for a fight. History had equipted Jonathan for once surprising slam of the door, and he was already waiting for his Champion when she entered. Although, the fact that George was leaning against one of his shelves acknowledged that he had prior warning to the attack.

Alanna didn't care. Slamming the heavy door shut, she began the one-sided screaming match. "How dare you! How can you let that boy run around the palace and never tell me? Was this your plan all along, to wait it out? To see how long it would take for me to see the ghost living with my grandson? How do think I felt when I saw him? Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Jon was an old pro at these matches and knew that Alanna would wear herself out soon enough. George was also an expert and knew the exact moment she would tire of yelling.

"The boy is Alex's mirror image! You never told me! This has been going one for a year already, and tonight was the first I learned of it! How could-" her voice died and was replaced by dry sobs.

George was at her side in an instant, ready to help her into a chair. Despite his almost sixty years of age, he knelt at his wife's side and held her hand while she wept. Jon was still sitting behind his desk, moving only to hand George a handkerchief for Alanna. Once the Lioness had calmed down, Jon knew it was safe to explain.

"Alex's mother gave little room to argue, Alanna." The king was now kneeling on his champion's unoccupied side. "You remember what the old bat was like. I can't simply deny a woman like her, even if I am king. She actually came all the way to the city last year, bent on putting me in my place." The memory caused him to chuckle a bit. At Alanna's unamused glare, he continued. "She said that her great grandson deserved a chance, just like any nobleman's son."

"And you just agreed to it? After everything that her family did? How-"

"Before you start screaming again, Alanna, remember that the boy is innocent. The blame for Alex's betrayal should not fall on his grandson's shoulders." Jon straightened up and stood tall in front of Alanna. "Would you burden any of your grandchildren with your faults?"

All Alanna could do was shake her head. The sight of Alex's young face in the dining hall had chilled her old bones to the marrow.

"You still should have warned me, Jon." Her eyes turned hard and she whipped around to face George. "You should have definitely told me," she roared, stabbing him hard in the chest.

George sighed and stood up. "I didn't know. I found out six days ago, when I brought Myles to the palace. The boy helped us out in the market when Myles mare got spooked."

"See," Jon insisted. "Maybe you were too quick to judge. Though I'm told the boy's friends leave much to be desired, he's never started trouble."

"Padriag said he injured Myles. That one is far from innocent." The woman was famous for being mulish, and she was proving it to two men who already knew.

George chuckled at his wife. Needless to say, she did not like it. Getting up from the chair, she the two men aside and began to pace. George knew which tactic his wife was going to try next and relaxed. The battle was half-way finished, and it was two against one.

"You're being overprotective, again."

"No, I am not. My grandson was assaulted."

"I agree with George," Jon added. He, like George, knew the direction the fight would take and had settled himself on his desk.

"Remember what his mother did when you tried to smother her?"

"George, I did not smother Aly. Keep her out of this!" Of course, she remembered. The last time she had argued with her daughter, she had lost her. She wouldn't lose her grandson.

"Alanna," said Jon. He knew why she was acting this way, the reason she had resorted to hysterics. He knew the haunted look in her eyes. "Myles will be safe, I promise you."

"Can you," she snapped back. Jon chose to ignore her.

"I do. He will be safe, you have my word on that. I know what he means to you, that his safety is what is really troubling you."

"How would you feel if you suddenly found out Maggur had a son, and that Jonnie was expected to live with him, train with him?" It was getting to be too much for her. The very thought of her grandson at the mercy of Alex's kin terrified her, and she told them so.

"What can he do?" Jon wanted to reason with her, to put her fears at ease, as well as his. "He's only a page, under constant supervision. I know you'll be here more often now, so Myles has even more protection. Tell me, Alanna, what could a single boy do?"

Alanna was tired of it all. George was already mollified with the situation, but she would be damned before she let anything hurt her grandson. The Lioness, the King's Champion, the woman who defied courts and customs, turned her back on the two most important men in her life.

She swore she would protect her grandson, and by the gods, she would make sure he was armed with the truth.

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**So Eleni is a hothead, but still has a soul. Alanna often yelled at her friends, but we all know she regretted the words soon enough. Eleni adores the friends she has, but is still learning to reign in the famous Trebond descended temper.**

**I'm interested in any feedback about Alanna's reactions. Please, tell me what you thought about it, if it seemed realistic.**


	17. Deterring the Lioness

**This chapter's for RooenEnnyte, whose kind words inspired me to burn the 3AM oil.**

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The nine o' clock bell found the proud Lioness of Tortall stalking the palace corridors. She had let her temper get the better of her, and had realized her mistake when it was too late. Though, she knew the ins and outs of the palace by heart, she didn't know which room had been assigned to her grandson. She may have been desperate to warn the young page, but she didn't want to go banging on every door in the wing until she found the right room.

Halfway to the pages' wing, Alanna sighed and turned to go back to her suite. She knew George would be there waiting for her. She hadn't taken more than a few steps when a page turned the corner. It wasn't her grandchild, but a page nonetheless.

"Page," she called out. He had to at least know which room belonged to Myles, she reasoned.

The page in question was Warren of Dunlath, and he was startled at being addressed by Alanna the Lioness. So startled, in fact, that he forgot to bow or how to properly greet someone of her rank. Between his stuttering and a bumbled bow, the poor boy was sure he was going to be dismissed. But Alanna was too desperate to care.

"Do you know which room belongs to Myles of Pirate's Swoop?"

That was not what Warren had expected to here. Though, if the situation had been properly scrutinize by someone who wasn't overwhelmed by being spoken to by a living legend, the question would have been expected.

Alanna didn't care about any of it. "Forget it, page," she muttered and continued walking.

"Wait, milady." Warren knew his mistake the moment the words left his mouth. "Milady" was definitely the wrong thing to call the lady knight. She might not have been outfitted for war, but she was still a knight of Tortall.

Incensed that a boy younger enough to be her grandson had gathered the nerve to snub her hard work, Alann stopped dead in her tracks. Tonight was not going well, at all. "What was that, page?" The Lioness was growling now, and staring down the boy like the prey he had become.

Warren was flushing red at his slip. "I apologize, Sir Alanna. Please, forgive my error." The Lioness was before the boy, but he couldn't force himself to look her in the eyes.

Alanna knew she was being an oversensitive bully. She knew that if she wanted to get anything done that night, she would have to control herself. "I will ignore what your slip up, if you direct me towards Myles of Pirate's Swoop."

He walked a few feet, before he found his voice. "His room is just down the hall from mine. I can lead you there if you wish."

She followed without a word, glad that something had finally gone her way. As she walked, she made the offhand observation that the boy was almost as tall as her. "How old are you," she barked. At his slight flinch, she adjusted her tone. "I ask only out of curiosity."

"Almost twelve years old," was the meek reply.

"And your name? It's not respectable for me to demand a task of you and not ask your name." Satisfaction had put her in a better mood. It was either that, or she was simply glad to know that she could still intimidate someone in the palace.

"Warren, sir knight."

"You're sponsoring my grandson, Warren?"

"Yes, ma'am." The conversation turned cool and Alanna didn't mind, she had other things to worry about.

It wasn't long before the boy stopped in front of a door that looked exactly like it's neighbors. How he could differentiate the doors was beyond her, but she didn't fret about it. Alanna dismissed Warren with a wave of her hand and waited for him to disappear into his own room prior to knocking on the sturdy door.

Little did she know, Warren was listening at his door, determined to know what it was that brought the Lioness to her grandson's door in such a state. If he had been unprepared for the agitated knight, he was much more so unprepared to see a large man leave Myles' room. Though he couldn't be sure in the dim torchlight, Warren would have sworn that the man's skin was almost copper.

The Lioness didn't appear distressed at the sight of the bulky man, so Warren gathered that she knew who he was. What was not obvious was the reason she was being barred from the room. The man was barricading the door with his body, forbidding Alanna from entering.

"He's sick," the man said. He obviously knew the Lioness, and would not be deterred by her presence alone. "He said that his dinner did not agree with his stomach. He's been sleeping the nausea off since he returned."

Warren was amazed by this giant was spoke to the Lioness with such ease. He vaguely wondered when Myles had become sick, but was distracted by the Lioness trying to enter the room. Regardless of her small size, she had tried to muscle her way past the man.

"If he's sick he should see a healer," she argued.

It seemed that nothing would make the man move. "My lady knight, the boy is tired and sick. Fussing over him now would only make things worse." The Lioness tried to interrupt, but his next words silenced her. "I've raised Myles since he was a babe. If there was anything truly wrong, I would have taken him to the healers personally."

Alanna stopped resisting. Had Warren not seen it with his own eyes, he would of never believed it. The Lioness retreating from a fight was unheard of, and he had witnessed her do just that.

Drained from fighting all the obstacle put in her way, Alanna knew it was time to give up. If Myles was sick, she wasn't going to sicken him even more with a disturbing history lesson. "Tell Myles that he is to eat lunch in my suite tomorrow. If he is still ill, I will insist on examining him." Without waiting for a confirmation, the Lioness left for her own room, tired out.

The strange man returned to the room, and Warren was left with an empty hall. Though he swore he could hear raised voices from Myles' room, he wrote it off to fatigue and ignored it. He reasoned his investigative work had earned him a good rest and prepared for bed.

* * *

**A little bit more of Alanna lashing out at people. I had an urge to stay with her for just a while longer, so I hope nobody minded. And there was a little more of Lokejo. I thought it was important for the plot to show how loyal and steadfast his character is. Trust me, his loyalty is a big point down the road.**

**I know the chapter was tiny, but I wanted to get it out of the way before it overwhelmed the muses. Not my favorite chappie, but necessary.**


	18. Finding the Target

Saturday morning dawned bright and warm. A gentle breeze was already blowing into the room through the already opened window. On the bed there was a small bump, barely stirring in the morning light. Red, sleep-tussled hair was peaking out from beneath the bed covers, disturbed only by the tiny breeze that filtered through. Truly, this was an idyllic situation.

Some neighboring crows disagreed with the quintessential sunrise, and voiced their opinions, quite loudly. They recognized one of their own brood in the comfortable bed, but couldn't see any reason why a crow would stay indoors.

"What a senseless chick," one female chided. "Who would willingly stay in a stone cage?"

Her friends agreed and joined in on the teasing.

The racket propelled Eleni out of bed like nothing else ever had. Because of what her father had been before choosing to stay with her mother, namely a crow just like those outside her window, she had been blessed with a varied understanding of birds. Their speech was just one of those gifts. Without bothering to put on a robe, Eleni thrust her head through the open window and screeched right back at the murder.

"Who are you calling silly, you turkeys?"

The crows were impressed. They had never imagined that the little chick would of had the skill, let alone the mettle to talk back. The obstinate female flitted over to the sill Eleni was bracing her hands on, her friends following right behind. She fluffed her feathers and pecked at Eleni's left hand.

"Turkey," she cawed. "Just who are you, chick? What parents would let a chick such as you fly about without manners."

Eleni had recoiled from the peck, but not fast enough to avoid the bird's beak. As she moved away from the window to tend her hand, the birds continued to dart around her, taunting her.. The peck had drawn blood and nothing she did would halt the flow. Frustrated at the way her day had begun, Eleni waved off the birds.

"Go away," she cried. "Just go away already!"

The small murder didn't care for her words and continued to peck at her, all the while heckling the girl.

It seemed to Eleni that Lokejo would always have an almost perfect sense of time, because he chose that moment to enter the room. Quickly analyzing the situation for what it was, he set down the tray he had been carrying. Before Eleni could even ask for help, her faithful friend had already driven the crows out the window. By the time Eleni had taken account of the feather-free environment, Lokejo had closed and locked the window shutters.

"Have all of your mornings been this eventful," he teased.

Eleni was not happy. She did not like being teased, especially in the morning. A firm kick to the shin relayed the message to Lokejo, who wasn't really injured. He had become accustomed to her methods of retaliation, and it wasn't like her blows actually hurt. But just to keep her pride intact, he made a show of being mortally wounded. That earned him a second kick to the shin.

Lokejo had to admit that his little girl had temerity, mayhap enough to get herself through her self-imposed ordeal. Sitting crossed-legged on the rug before her bed, he watched her devour the breakfast he had brought in, until he slowly realized what was wrong with the image before him. He got up and spun so quickly that Eleni took notice.

"Something wrong?" she asked cautiously. If Lokejo was going to play games this early, she wanted no part in it.

"My young master might want to put on a robe," he mumbled. As much as he loved the little girl, her oblivious nature to all things concerning herself was going to be the death of him one day.

Eleni blushed scarlet when she realized that she had forgotten to put on a robe over her nightshirt. Not a moment later, she was covered up all the way to her throat. Moments like this one were only too frequent between the two, but still embarrassing.

"Covered up yet?" His cheek earned him another kick, but Eleni was glad that he could difuse the situation so easily. Turning around he gathered up the forgotten tray. "If you're finished," he drawled. The small page was quickly upon the tray once more, making her friend chuckle. "Fine then. I'll go get your bath and clothes ready."

He was already in the washroom, when Eleni had managed to swallow a rather large mouthful of sausage. "Don't bother with the bath water," she called out. "Sir Asher gave me two hours of extra practice today, no point in taking a bath before that."

That made the Raka laugh. The one thing that everyone knew about his little chick was that she was born to wield a bow. "Didn't the fool realize that you'd be doing that today, anyway?"

Eleni knew Lokejo didn't expect an actual response, that it was his way of voicing how silly he found the people of Tortall to be. Brushing the crumbs from her hands and robe, she promptly pushed Lokejo out of her washroom. "Go on, I think I can manage to get dressed on my own."

He let her push him around, if it cheered her up. In his opinion, the little girl deserved all the cheer in the world. Lokejo laughed at himself, as he cleaned up the breakfast who saw how they acted around each other would swear they were father and daughter, and sometimes Lokejo forgot that he wasn't. "I'm going to take this back to the kitchens," he called out.

"Go ahead," was the muffled reply.

"Make sure you go fulfill your punishment."

"Yes, sir." Lokejo didn't need to see her face to know Eleni was rolling her eyes.

"Your eyes will stay that way. Your mother always said so."

"And you're both still wrong! I thought you said you were going to go now?"

"Fine," he said. "If you don't want me around anymore, I'll leave."

As he closed the door, Lokejo was too entertained to notice the willowy boy emerging from the room next door. Schuylar noticed him, though, and couldn't help but wonder who the large, dark-skinned man was. So, being Schuylar "The Fool" of Nicoline, he followed him, intent on getting his answers.

By the time Eleni had emerged from her room, she only had ten minutes to run to the practice yard assigned to the pages. Running as quickly as she could, she started to sprint when she heard the palace bells tolling the ninth hour of the day. She picked up her speed until she was sprinting down the halls. As the final toll of the bell sounded, Eleni managed to slide to a very dusty stop before a flustered Sir Morven of Berm.

When the dust cleared, Eleni was able to see the poor sould in charge of her punishment. Sir Morven was now known to Eleni as Sir Asher's personal servant. Whenever the rotund bigot needed something done, Morven was there to do it for him. As far as Eleni was concerned, Morven needed to grow a spine. He also needed to get rid of the inch of dust covering him from head to toe, more than likely a direct result of Eleni's entrance.

"Just barely made it," he said as way of welcome. As Eleni straightened her tunic, Sir Morven looked down at the small page that had muddied his clothes. Sighing away the headache he know the boy would bring, he pointed at a dozen targets already set up for use. "Sir Asher expects you to practice on these for the next two bells."

Without another word and a single swish of his cloak, he had walked away. Stretching out the bow she had barely remembered to bring with her, Eleni walked over to the targets. They were the same kind that the pages used for training, nothing different about them. Finding no challenge, she gave a small sigh and walked back a few yards.

As the arrows flew, her mind wandered. Sometimes she'd think about her family, reminding herself that she had to start a letter for her mother. She thought about her brothers, what they would be doing without her. Right about the time the next bell sounded, her thoughts had turned to her life at the palace.

_I suppose things aren't too bad, now._ Another arrow was loosed, perfect like the others before it. _Sure, the first few days where tough, but whose weren't. _Another perfect shot. _I'm almost positive Warren had a tough time getting used to Schuylar. _A third arrow. _All the sponsors had to get used to their charges. _The fourth arrow was off by a fraction.

_Then why couldn't Alex put up with me?_

Eleni just couldn't understand what had happened with Alexander of Tirragen. He had offered to sponsor her, when she first arrived at the palace, but he had then fed her to the she-wolf name Pierina. After that episode, he helped her find her friends when she was lost, but he showed no sign of relenting. She had been warned on more than one occasion, and by more than one person, of Alex's loyalties. As far as Eleni could see, Alex hadn't done anything too dangerous.

_If I ignore that first night, and Pier's little "warning", nothing detrimental has occurred. Artan and Pier are the only real threats. Why does everyone insist that Alex is the problem?_

Another bell tolled in the distance, reeling Eleni back to the present. "No point worrying about what I can't change," she murmured. When she went to examine the targets. All but one of the shots had hit the center ring. There was no need to recall what had caused the error. Eleni knew she spent too much time thinking about young Alexander of Tirragen.

_If the real Myles were here,_she thought, _I'd never hear the end of it. He and the twins would swear I had a crush on the boy._

Shaking away the silly thoughts in her head, Eleni set to clearing the targets of the arrows. Her punishment was completed, and a warm bath sounded marvelous. Distracted as she was, Eleni never noticed the blonde squire watching her from the fence. He found the tiny redhead incredibly fascinating, and that did not bode well for Eleni's future.

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**Sorry if this is not my best work. I've been sick the last two days, and not sleeping too well. I had planned on this being longer, but now I just wanted to get a piece posted.**

**Tell me what you think about the plot, so far. All suggestions are greatly appreciated!**


	19. Caging the Cub

When Eleni returned to her room, she found the door locked from the inside. Needless to say, she was very curious. The servants didn't lock the doors when they cleaned the room. Someone unwanted was in there, and she was going to find out who it was. She hesitantly knocked on the door and backed up against the wall, ready to attack the person inside.

The person who opened the door was ready for the ambush and pulled her inside. Eleni was not happy with Lokejo.

"What was that," she demanded. "What have I said about hauling me around like that?" She finally got a good look at her friend, and she did not like what she saw. He was almost as pale as her and he looked feverish. "Are you all right, Lokejo?" Eleni's anger had turned to concern as she set him down on her bed.

"He's inescapable," he managed to mumble.

"Who is?" Eleni had never seen him this shaken before.

"I don't know his name, but he followed me for the better part of an hour. He magicked me. Said I was a danger. To everyone. That he would make sure I was caught." His words were coming out a rapid mess, and Eleni had to take a minute to dissect what she had heard.

"Who was this? A mage in the palace did this?" She was becoming anxious at his silence. "Lokejo?"

He was silent. With his eyes closed and his breathing slowed, he looked as if the Black God had taken him. Only his pained expressions told otherwise, but Eleni was panicking. Forcing her gift onto the man, she failed to find what was wrong with him. Whatever the mystery mage had done to her faithful friend, it was beyond her gift to overrule.

Calming herself, she decided that, as afraid of her Grandmother as she was, Alanna was the only powerful mage she knew in Corus. Giving Lokejo her most forlorn look, she kissed his forehead. "Trickster protect him."

Hastening from her room, she almost missed Schuylar standing by her door, poised to tackle whoever came out. Though Schuylar had proved himself a poor wrestler, Eleni's state of mind gave the boy an easy victory. This victory was followed by a prompt black eye.

"Go away, Schuylar." Eleni didn't apologize for the blow or look at the boy, as she sped down the hall.

Schuylar was very confused. The last time he had checked, the only person in the room was the strange dark-skinned man. And now Myles had come out and hit him. How did he miss the stranger leaving the room.

"Myles," he called out.

Barely out of earshot, Eleni managed to hear the boy. Exasperated by her uselessness and the boy's foolishness, she turned back. "What do you want, Schuylar!"

He had never thought he would see his new friend like this. A descendant of the Lioness all teary-eyed? The possibility was impossible to him. The Lioness and her family were people of legend, they didn't cry or lose their tempers with normal people.

"Are you all right, Myles?"

Eleni could honestly not stand the boy a moment longer. Letting out her frustrations by a physical medium sounded perfect to her, and Schuylar was an easy whipping boy. She had plenty of reasons to target him: he annoyed her to no end, he hadn't ceased to mention her grandmother, he asked stupid questions, he was foolish, he never took anything seriously, the world was a joke to him, and he was a fool!

She hadn't finished listing the reasons, before she had assaulted the taller boy. Momentum was the sole reason she was able to bring him down, and surprise was what gave her the upper hand. The advantage lasted only as long as it took Schuylar to disentangle himself from the vicious redhead.

Before long, the commotion caused by the two pages drew the attention of every page who was still in their room. Perci, Varick, Warren, and Simon all opened their doors at about the time that a particularly vehement shove rattled Alex's door, prompting the page to look outside.

While the four friends watched the skirmish shift from Alex's door, Eleni managed to hit Schuylar on the jaw. That raised some flags. Though they didn't want to get involved, the sudden appearance of blood made the decision for them. If they didn't intervene soon, either one of the first-years would end up severely injured.

With the minimalist of eye contact, Warren and Simon moved to grab Myles and Schuylar, respectively. Before Warren could reach the small page, Alex had already ripped her off Schuylar, her fist poised set for another punch. Even though, Alex was bigger than the page he was holding back, the hostility raging through her was enough to let her break free. As none of the older pages had thought it possible for Myles to get away, they were basically holding up Schuylar like a punching bag.

And that was when Perci made up his mind to decisively end the fight. The same yellow fire that had encircled Herne earlier that week was now the only thing caging in the enraged Eleni. Leaving the others to deal with Schuylar, Perci made his way to the makeshift corral. Indeed, the page inside was feral, and her eyes were demanding more of Schuylar's blood.

Perci was tired of the display and it showed. The fiery circle started to close in on Eleni, until she had no choice but to stand immobile. He knew how to command authority, it was something that they had all agreed on a long time ago. The new pages had yet to learn this, but Perci figured it was high time these two learn the lesson.

"Are you ready to act your age," he asked.

It was an echo of what he had asked Herne. Eleni only glared at him. In her opinion, Perci never acted his age. He acted years older, but only because he felt one of them had to. Order had to be maintained, and if they sometimes hated him for it, then he would be hated.

About to curse him into oblivion, Eleni forgot the flames holding her in. When she burned herself, the insult died on her lips. Perci was the answer to her problem!

"I need your help," she whispered.

Her demeanor had changed completely. Where a minute ago a caged lion cub had been ready to rip her friends apart, a chastised and desperate house cat crumbled. The tears that had been present when Schuylar had first bothered her had made a return appearance, and all those observing the little redhead saw them.

The flames instantly vanished.

"If you needed help," Perci started towards her with a handkerchief. "Attacking a fellow page was not the way to ask for it."

Needing to explain her ignoble behavior, Eleni rushed through the tale. "My friend, a servant who came with me to Corus, he's injured. A mage spelled him. I can't get him to wake. That one," a withering look was sent to Schuylar, only to be intercepted by Perci. "He wouldn't let me find help. He kept getting in the way. I just-"

"Lost it," Warren finished for him. Leaving Schuylar in Simon's hands, he moved to the hyperventilating page. "Regardless of the situation at hand, none of us have the luxury of losing out heads." Steering Eleni toward her door, he continued, "Why don't you show Perci what this rogue mage did to your friend."

It was a statement, not request. Neither Eleni or Perci argued, both still slightly charged from the earlier confrontations and not trusting their voices.

When the door was opened, the silent group heard Schuylar squeak. Squeak like a mouse that knew the cat was going to rip him to shreds. He tried to retreat out of the room, only to have that exit blocked by Alex.

"Something you want to share with the group," he asked. Alex found this new page to be a bit of an annoyance, and he just knew he was the root of Myles' outburst. "Well?"

"Uhm." For once, Schuylar was speechless. That was the first clue that he was guilty, and it didn't go unnoticed by Eleni.

"What did you do?" If the others had thought that the previous struggles had taken the fight out of the small page, they were in for a big surprise. She looked ready to pounce on Schuylar any moment.

"IthoguhthewasaspysenttokidnapMylessoIspelledhim."

Varick, silent throughout the whole spectacle, was the only would who understood Schuylar's jumbled mess. He was the first to put it together, and felt it was only fair to warn Schuylar. "Tirragen, move out of the way." Alex, still confused by the string of nonsense, didn't argue and the way was cleared. "You might want to run, Schuylar."

He was sprinting down the hall, by the time Eleni had deciphered his confession. Luckily for Schuylar, Alex had repositioned his body and stopped Eleni from going after him.

"Let me kill him," she growled. Try as she might she couldn't budge him.

"Is this how you're going to make your friend better?" That made her stop struggling. Despite all odds, Alex had become the voice of reason. Still wary of what she was capable of, Alex stayed where was. "Legann, can you undo the spell?" Never a fan of Alex's, Perci refused to answer.

Simon, seeing how desperate their young friend was to save her servant, stepped in. "I'm sure Perci can right whatever is wrong with the man."

"If he won't speak, and if he can't undo it, do not speak for him, Kennan." Alex pushed his way past the four pages and knelt beside the large Raka on Eleni's bed. "How long has he been like this?" No response. "Pirate's Swoop, if you want hel-"

"He was feverish when I got back from my punishment." She ignored the looks her friends were giving her. "I got back just after the eleventh bell."

Perci had left the room by then. If Myles was going to disregard his warnings and look to Tirragen for help, he would wash his hands of both. Simon, ever loyal to Perci, followed right behind. He knew that his old sponsor could be stubborn, but if he waited out the storm he would be fit to talk. Varick stayed to guard Eleni from foul play, and Warren to ensure that she didn't go after Schuylar.

And so it was that when the Lioness returned to Myles' room, she found the door opened. Whatever she had expected, the scene before her was not it. Alexander of Tirragen, leaning over her grandson's bed, his hands glowing with his gift. Pushing the door open all the way, she made herself known.

"Just what is going on here?"

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**I admit that this chapter took me hostage and wrote itself. I wanted to show a little more of the friendships that Eleni has in her life. There are people like Lokejo, who can inspire her to brave the fearsome Lioness, and friends like Schuylar, who she would easily toss in the river if she didn't care about them. Sorry about that, I'm not at my best when sick like this. Hopefully this little filler weekend will end and we can get on with the real fun. I swear we're almost at the fun! **


	20. Sealing the Deal

**For spazzysassyangel, xDarklightx, and HPLUVR71495. Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

It would have been an understatement to stay that the pages in the room belonging to Myles of Pirate's Swoop were stunned. The fearsome Alanna the Lioness had them cornered. Eleni's guardian, Lokejo, was unconscious on the bed. Alexander of Tirragen was bent over the man, trying to undo the spell cast on him. Warren and Varrick took one look at the fuming Lioness, and they knew they were going to get caught in the crossfire of an inter-generational war.

It was fairly common knowledge that on the coronation day of Jonathan IV, his cousin Duke Roger had staged a coup d'etat. Equally well known were those who aided him in the attempt: Sir Alexander of Tirragen, Lady Delia of Eldorne, and Princess Josiane Rittevon. While the Copper Isles had disowned the dead princess and claimed diplomatic immunity on the matter, the Tortallan lord and lady's home fiefs suffered for the crimes. Lady Delia was sentenced to a life of imprisonment.

The Lioness had been the one to administer justice to the late Sir Alexander. Some said that it was a merited death, that it would have been his punishment anyway for his crimes. With the traitorous knight dead, his family felt the brunt of the hate.

And here was his grandson, the boy who had sought to avenge his rage on Myles of Pirate's Swoop. Alex was at the mercy of the Lioness, alone and defenseless, with his only exit blocked.

"I asked a question," the Lioness growled. She had to admit, if only to herself, that seeing this ghost from her past shook her up. Being in the same room as the boy was giving her chills, but the boy was in her grandson's room. That was not acceptable for her. "I suggest one of you answer me." At the pages' total silence, she reiterated, "Now!"

"Milady," Alanna had not expected her ghost to be the one to answer her. The boy had yet to turn, and was still working his gift on Lokejo, but he knew who it was that had rendered the others speechless. "I ask that you lower your voice." Before Alanna could call him out for his insolence, he had continued to speak. "I am trying to undo a most difficult spell, here. Your yelling is not helping."

Smooth yet laconic, the same as his grandfather. The similarities were unnerving the time-tested knight, but she still had her old courage. Stepping up to the bed, bypassing her quiet grandchild without a glance, she got a good look at the unconscious man. It appeared to Alanna that Alex's best efforts were proving futile.

"Move." A single word was all it took to convince Alex. Though she kept her eyes on Lokejo, she knew the boy hadn't left the room.

The pages watched in astonished wonder as Alanna easily lifted the spell on the colossal man. Tales of the Lioness hadn't exaggerated her virtue, she had earned her tales. Lokejo rose from the bed like a man rising from the grave. Eleni did not let him sit up completely before she had lunged at her old friend.

Ignoring decorum and her intimidating grandmother, Eleni was at bliss. Her immediate troubles were gone, and that was all that mattered to her. Her arms were locked around the man, and she was sobbing. Eleni Crow did not care if her true gender was discovered, if her grandmother disowned her for lying, if she never earned back her friends. She was only too happy to have Lokejo back and safe.

"Thank you, ma'am." For a man who had received three different healings in the last hour, he was acutely aware of the situation at hand. Gentling moving Eleni off of himself, Lokejo stood and bowed to the Lioness, if a little stiffly. "I thank you, for your help. The little chick would have been lost without me."

Once again, Warren and Varick were reduced to background scenery, mute witnesses to the startling occasion. Alex was the only page not dazzled by the legend.

"If my services are no longer required, I'll be on my way then."

Though the Lioness was itching to stop the boy and detain him for an intense round of questioning, there would be too many questions asked of her later if she did. It didn't matter anyway, Alex had walked out of the room. He had never really asked for Alanna's permission to leave.

Addressing the two pages who had remained silent throughout the whole scene, she said, "You can go. I'm sure you have other duties to attend to today." Varick didn't need to be told twice. The Lioness scared him witless, and he pulled Warren along. Though Warren hesitated at the door, he too left, sure that Myles was in good hands.

When Alanna, Eleni, and Lokejo were the only ones left in the room, the silence made Eleni realize the dire solemnity of her circumstances. The night before, Lokejo had warned her that her grandmother had insisted on speaking with her. She had been luck that Lokejo had been able to dissuade the mighty Lioness. Now, she was trapped in her own room, Lokejo too weak to defend her.

Rising from her bed, Eleni tried her best to regain some of her lost dignity. "Grandmother," it was the first time she had addressed Alanna since she had appeared at her door. "Thank you for helping Lokejo." Simple words. She wasn't sure she could be anymore articulate at the moment.

Once again the Lioness had to acknowledge how much Myles reminded her of her brother. And her estranged daughter. With his red hair and amethyst eyes, he looked so much like Thom, but the steel in her eyes belonged to Alianne. Alanna knew that George and Jon were right, that she had to tread carefully with Myles. She just could lose another member of her family. Nothing would take this little boy away from her. Myles had his bodyguard, and the man was competent. If he was in danger, the Lioness could at least know that she had a buffer protecting the boy. The best she could do now was to err on the side of caution.

Alanna knelt before her dear grandchild, never noticing in her adoration of the child, that the violet eyes were wide with fear. Tenderly, she gave Eleni an embrace that could only come from a loving grandmother. Eleni stayed stunned and couldn't find it in herself to say anything.

Without breaking the hug, Alanna offered the only words she could. "Can you promise me something, Myles?" Eleni could only nod and hoped it was enough of an indicator. "Promise me that you'll be careful." George had already told her that. "Please, please, be careful while here. I can guarantee that you will meet wonderful life-long friends, but there are dangers that we can't protect you from. Just promise that you'll keep your eyes open."

Alanna refused to let go until Myles agreed. She wouldn't force her protection on the boy, wouldn't burden him with her phantoms. Goddess help her, she wanted to keep this little boy safe for all eternity, but he had chosen to earn a shield. There would come a day when she couldn't follow Myles' every move. Today was the day she began to let go. Alanna had to learn to trust her grandson, and hope that he was wise enough with time.

"I promise." Eleni didn't know if it was Alanna's tone or the way her voice was almost breaking, but she could tell that it meant the world to her grandmother that she agree. She finally returned the hug.

Maybe, just maybe, she could get away with her plan to go through training as a male. Maybe her grandmother would still love her after everything was admitted. Alanna was a good woman, an amazing knight, and an even better grandmother. She would understand.

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**Hope this chappie contained enough to satiate you guys for a bit.**

**I have the next 3-5 chapters outlined already. Most of the story, really, but I have chapters to go.**

**HELP! I'm having a bout of indecision on the matter of Eleni's knight master. I can't say if the knight knows that he's taking on a girl or boy, but the knight has to have the patience of a saint and the Trickster's sense of humor. If anyone wants to suggest an established character or one of their own imaginings, I will gladly consider them all!**


	21. Healing the Wounds

**For spazzysassyangel, xDarklightx, and HPLUVR71495, and xMxRosex. Thanks for the reviews!**

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The rest of the weekend passed by quietly. Literally. After asking questions and receiving no answers, Herne and Devin were quickly put out with their stony friends. Meals were eaten in silence and nobody gathered to study in groups. They were all still shaken by the fight, the curse, Alex's help, Perci's reaction, and the Lioness' appearance. That one Saturday morning had proved itself quite eventful, and the pages were still awestruck by how the day had turned out.

Come Monday morning, the tension had reached new heights. Perci hadn't responded to any of his friends, with the sole exception of Simon. It was obvious that Simon was still as loyal to Perci, and that he had stayed by his side after the incident. He was a tranquil and obedient boy, and Eleni figured that was why Perci was so close to him, because he didn't ask questions.

Breakfast was awkward again. The only nosie at their table was the sound of cutlery moving around on plates. They were all tired of the silence, especially those who had not witness the scandal.

"I say we take flowers to Mistress Anne."

Eleni, Warren, Simon, Devin, and Varick looked up from their plates and stared at Herne. That single sentence was a code they had arranged. It meant that it was time to initiate their scheme, the one they had concocted only a week prior. One by one, the pages subtly nodded their agreement, until only Simon was left. Hazarding a glance at Perci, he decided that his friend could use a laugh. He nodded as well.

"Excellent," Herne exclaimed. "Remember what we each agreed to take." Another round of nods and Herne was positively gleeful. Finally, the gloom was gone from their group. A new victim had been signalled out, and Master Radzimierz was the sacrificial lamb. If the loon's hair had to be green for a while, Herne figured it was a small price to pay for the sake of friendship.

The seemed to go by at a pitiful pace. Lord Padraig had chosen that Monday to personally overview their weapons training. His hawk-like eyes raked over the poor pages, barking whenever any of them did something wrong. He never took note that Sir Asher did the barest of instructing and that Sir Morven was the one doing the real work. Staff work, archery, wrestling, on and on it went. Lord Padraig found faults in everyone's aim or stance, something was always less than perfect.

Needless to say, it got annoying. Eleni's grip on her staff tightened to the point that her knuckles blanched. Warren recognized the white knuckles for what they were: the signs of bubbling agitation.

"Hey," he whispered loudly. He was willing to risk being yelled at, if it meant keeping Myles calm. Eleni gave him the most minute glimpse. At least he was going to listen. "Keep your head, Myles. Lord Padraig will do worse than Sir Asher if you cross him."

Eleni knew his words were the truth, but her sense of justice was raging. The men in charge weren't worth their weight, much less capable of pulling it. Wretched Sir Morven didn't have the courage to stand up for himself and took it all in stride. Just what were these men supposed to teach the young boys who wanted to become knights of the realm? Obtain rank, if not obey it? Pathetic!

By the time that archery practice was over, Warren was keeping one eye on the outraged redhead, and he wasn't the only one. As they parted for lunch, none of the boys called Eleni back when she ran off to her room. They figured Myles needed to cool down on his own. The bath help loosen her tension. Lokejo noticed that his little chick was happier than she had been in quite a while.

"Made up with your friends?" he asked. She was in front of her mirror again, reassuring herself that she looked like a boy. Never mind the fact that she was fussing with her hair again.

Eleni hand never missed a stroke. "Kind of. We have something uniting us again." A devious smile formed on her lips.

Knowing what that smirk meant, Lokejo dropped the subject. Last time he badgered her about pranks, he had woken up to an ice cold bath, and that was not an easily accomplished feat in the Isles. Eleni Crow was a little trickster, and he would not stand in her way.

"Don't muss your clothes, whatever it is that you're going to do."

"Don't turn into a mother hen without warning." Tit for tat, and Eleni was happier than ever. Master Radzimierz would never know what hit him.

To Eleni the classes flew by, but not quickly enough. The subject matter that the priests taught she had already learned before. She was able to read as well as any University student, but was subtle in her superiority. The last thing she wanted was the attention of coveting priests, eager for a mind to "mold".

The empty time she had begun to fill with musings, usually about some shiny bauble or other her grandfather had hidden away among her things. Today, though, her mind wandered to her friends.

Were their troubles forgotten so easily? She, at least, was still wary of Schuylar. A boy of ten spelling a man like Lokejo was impossible, but Eleni had seen the proof herself. Schuylar had the makings of a powerful mage. And he was annoying. A tiny part of her mind reminded her that he had only cast the spell, because he had worried about her safety. Brushing the thought aside, Eleni added impudence to the list of faults she was keeping.

Any way, had any of them known that Schuylar was that powerful before Saturday? She was sure that no one had informed Lord Padraig of the matter, but it couldn't be ignored. Schuylar was a danger to everyone in the palace if he continued to go around uninhibited. She didn't want to fight with the boy, but she couldn't deny the live tension between them. They hadn't spoken to each other, even after Herne had broken the newly formed ice.

"Pirate's Swoop," the Mitran priest interrupted her thoughts. "Solve the algebra problem on the slate." Not a single "please" from the ancient man. If Eleni hadn't beem raised to respect the elderly, the man would have found mice in his precious robes.

Slowly rising from her desk, Eleni made a show of thinking before roughly writing out the solution. "Is this it?" She hadn't taken too long this time, the charade of ignorance was already boring. One day she might just show them how educated she was.

"Very well done," was all the man said. Just like that she was dismissed back to her thoughts. How she longed for the challenges of her old tutors.

All involved found it very difficult to stay still during Master Radzimierz's lesson. After introducing his lilac handerkerchief to the class, he spent the better part of the hour prattle on about social reforms of Kyprish Isles, playing with his flaxen hair the whole time. On and on, he went, boring the entire class with his pretentious monologue. His only pause was to made to retrieve a hairbrush. A brush! The dandy was a vain one, that was for sure.

_Not for long,_ thought Eleni. _Soon, you'll be dashing to hide that silly braid._

When class ended, the plan went into effect. Herne ran out of the room, Devin and Varick right after. Simon had been chosen to distract Perci from the plot. Warren was in charge of keeping Schuylar away from Radzimierz. Eleni envied the boys' assignments. She had drawn the short straw, and Radzimierz was all hers.

"Master Radzimierz," she hailed. The fool twirled on the spot and Eleni swore he had waited all day to pull that move. "I have some questions about cattle laws." She let him explain for a second time, at a very painful length, the way Rittevon rulers had revised cattle and poultry laws over the centuries. At wit's end, she saw Herne reappear in the doorway, the sign that the mission had been a success, It was time to leave. "Thank you ever so much, Master Radzimierz," she gushed, cutting him off at mid sentence. At least, it would have sounded like gushing if anyone had known she was a girl. "I completely understand now!"

As the remaining pages trickled out of the room, they couldn't help but feel superior to the blonde man. Tomorrow would be a very good day for them, and they just couldn't wait for classes to resume.

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**Thanks for the reviews and suggestions! I'm always willing to take suggestions, just because it makes me laugh while considering them. I have a little something on my profile page. Consider it a peek into my head as I write the story out. **

**Oh, by the way, I was reading some forums in which Pierce shared some wonderful information. Devin of Disart's mother is related to a rather well-known knight. I'm interested in reading your guesses. My only hint is this: Devin tends to be a tad dramatic, just like his uncle.**


	22. Closing the Chasm

**Sorry this took so long. I had to get some blood work done, and it drained me. No pun intended...**

**For xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, and xMxRosex. Thanks for the reviews!**

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Long, black hair, bound by a simple tie. Dark brown eyes, wide with shock, set on a face that had seen more sun than shade. A crooked smile, slightly open in disbelief.

These are the first things Eleni saw when she opened her eyes at dawn Tuesday morning. Years of seeing the features told her they belonged to Lokejo, and she didn't worry. Peeking over his shoulder to her window, she saw that the sun hadn't fully risen yet. Well, neither would she. She merely rolled over in her bed and waved him off. Five more minutes of sleep would make all the difference to her.

Lokejo wouldn't have any of it. With one hand he pulled her back over, his eyes turning as hard as flint. That woke her up. A serious Lokejo meant that something was wrong, seriously wrong.

"Just who did you annoy this time?" That was all he could say. His poor eyes just couldn't believe what they were seeing. How in Mithros' name did the girl manage to do that to her hair?

Stretching out her back, Eleni stifled a yawn. "What?"

She was instantly ripped from her bed and dragged before a mirror. What she saw made her shriek. Green. Forest green. Her once red hair was a bright green!

The scream that came from her mouth resonated throughout the hall, waking those who still slumbered. Soon, other panicked voices could be heard. Hearing wailing moans from the room next door, Eleni rushed to put on clothes and hurry out.

As Lokejo watched her, he asked the obvious question. "Why don't you glamour it back yourself?"

Never pausing, Eleni's reply was curt. "I said I didn't have the gift." She was finding it difficult to focus on dressing and continued to speak in a muffled and distracted voice. "Can't show up with my normal hair. Someone has to change it for me."

Lokejo merely sat on her bed and watched her frenzied motions. His little crow had angered someone, and that someone was powerful. She wasn't taking it well, either, but he saw as cosmic revenge for all of her past stunts.

Without checking her mirror or a "goodbye" Eleni stormed out of her room. Lokejo laughed to himself and wondered just how many others had awoken in the same predicament.

_This is good for her,_ he thought. _Maybe the chick will learn that people don't like being messed with too often._

Outside in the hall, Eleni was trying to break down Schuylar's door. She knew he was the snitch. Who else would have told that sniveling dandy? From the screams coming from all over the hall, she could tell that the others had seen the lovely changes bestowed upon them. She resumed her knocking with renewed fervor.

"Schuylar," she beat on the door, ignoring the splinters embedding themselves in her fists. "You come out know, or so help me, Mithros, I wil-" The door was unlocked and opened slightly. "Well, it's a about time," she chided. Pushing the door further open, she took up her lecture. "How could you tell that useless excuse for teacher that we-" Again, her words were cut off.

Standing before her was a despairing Schuylar of Nicoline. He had already dressed for the day and was facing away from the door. His darker than midnight hair was the same shade of green as hers. The poor boy looked close to tears, tugging at strands of his green hair.

"Why was I punished, too?" he finally whimpered. He wasn't even going to put up a fight. Schuylar slumped down on his bed, open to Eleni's retribution, but nothing ever came. No punch, no stab wound, not even something thrown. Myles of Pirate's Swoop did not attack him.

Forlorn as the boy looked, Eleni felt the ice around her heart crack. He might have done her wrong before, but he had been punished along with the true conspirators. That didn't sit well with Eleni. To her, it was just more proof that Radek Radzimierz was a fool. He couldn't tell the difference between the culprits, so he had condemned them all.

A decisively female shriek forced both pages to look towards the door. They barely managed to see Alex running past the door, bound for the next room. When Eleni turned back to look at Schuylar, he was already by her side. When he closed and locked his door, Eleni got suspicious.

"Schuylar," she whispered.

The desolate boy was leaning against his door, almost bracing it against some great storm. A murmur was all he spared.

"Who lives in the room next to yours?"

"Pierina."

That one word said it all. If the lady cried out, Alexander of Tirragen was at her side. But why was she of all people screaming. Eleni sighed and leaned against the door with Schuylar. Today was too much, and the sun had just risen.

"Is it awful? Living next to her I mean?" Schuylar had slid down to the floor, much more quiet than was normal. "What's wrong?" Shaking his arm, she tried again. "Schuylar, are you all right?"

Something snapped inside Schuylar at that question. Much like Eleni the weekend before, he lost his control, but he did not use violence. His weapon was his tongue, and the young academic knew how to use it. Eleni did not expect the tirade that came from the slim boy.

"My hair is green! Green!" He looked ready to tear out the chunks of hair he was tugging on. "I don't care what I look like, but I'm innocent! Where is the justice? And here you are, ready to blame me for your troubles again! I can't take this anymore, I'm through. No matter what I do, it's not enough. I'm not meant to be a knight, not if there isn't any justice to be found in this miserable city. What kind of madhouse is? Grandmother can use her threats to keep her warm at night, for all I care, but I'm not staying here a moment longer! No way am I going to lose another day."

He then proceeded to vent in a foreign language. On and on it went, until Eleni thought the boy would turn blue before he stopped. By the time he had worn himself out, Eleni could only stare openmouthed at the boy. She had known that he liked to talk, but a monologue like that one was unheard of. Schuylar had snapped. And Eleni liked it.

Though the boy may have been annoying with his incessant need to be friendly, this new honest and rabid Schuylar looked like fun.

"I would ask if you are all right," Schuylar shot her a glare. "But I'm not a fool, like you."

Schuylar could only chuckle and slide down next to her. "I am sorry," he said. "I really did think that man was trying to kidnap you."

"His name is Lokejo," she said. Eleni gave him a small shove with her shoulder. "He's been with me since I was born. He'd never hurt me." They were silent for a bit, listening to the screams that continued outside. She sighed. "I'm sorry for taking my frustrations out on you."

"You had every right to," he countered.

"No, I didn't. Mother taught me better."

"I thought she taught she to respect those who were better?" When she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, she saw him grinning. "I don't always do what Warren tells me to do."

"You'd live longer, if you did."

"Where's the fun in that?" Eleni had to agree with the boy. Mischief was fun, and if Schuylar liked it they could be friends.

They were silent again, each thinking of what they ahd learned about the other. This would certainly change things, but if it meant that they could get along and not strangle each other then it wasn't bad at all.

"I don't hear any screaming." Schuylar had his ear pressed against the door. "Think the others decided to just live with it for now?"

"I won't live with it," she pouted.

Eleni forced herself up and offered Schuylar her hand. Then there was a twinkle in her eye. _I may not be able to use my Gift, _she thought. _But Schuylar can!_

"Wanna do me a favor," she asked. Eager to make up for his former screw up, Schuylar quickly nodded. "Glamour my hair back for me?"

Schuylar laughed as he sat Myles down on his bed and placed his hands on his head. To think that their friendship was cemented on such a silly thing. His hands glowed celadon, a significantly lighter shade of green than their hair. Eleni found it funny that his Gift would be green, the irony was too much.

Once Eleni's hair was back to red, Schuylar set to work on his own. Soon it was back to its original midnight, and the pages were left with nothing to do. They shared a laugh, the kind of nervous laugh that people share after making up. The atmosphere wasn't tense like before, but they were still many things to learn about each other. The palace bell sounded the hour, reminding both pages that the day had just begun.

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**Hope you guys liked this one. I love Schuylar too much to make him the outsider. Thanks for reading!**


	23. Finding the Root

**For xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, RooenEnnyte, and xMxRosex. Thanks for the reviews!**

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Breakfast was a comical affair. Almost all of the pages had the same hideous green hair. The exceptions were Eleni, Schuylar, Perci, Alex, Pier, and a boy named Alwin of Irimor. As far as Eleni could tell, they were the only ones with Gifts, or friends with Gifts, strong enough to overturn the glamour on their hair.

_That's why Alex was running to her room so early,_ she thought. Every day that dawned, she became more and more convinced that Pier kept Alex on a short leash. _She's only using him._

The pages in the hall were not amused. Well, one person was very amused. Herne found the backfiring spell so funny, he hadn't bothered to glamour his hair back to normal. To him, it was one of life's quirks and he welcomed it.

Although, Herne was laughing as if the whole idea was hilarious, his laughter died when Lord Padriag entered the hall. If anyone was going to suffer a fit this morning, it was him. All of the pages, with the exception of those who had glamoured their hair back, where sentenced to three hours of stable duty the following Saturday. After administering the sentence, he walked out of the room, bound for his office.

Eleni did not envy the other pages in the hall, but the look on Herne's face was priceless. The incident was a common cause for the friends to rally around. Perci was speaking to them again, chiding the younger pages for their folly.

"Really," he admonished. "Did it not occur to any of you that Master Radzimierz is our teacher because he is a capable instructor?" Perci had quickly developed a habit of checking his bangs. "If the man is charged with teaching pages, then you should know he's not a man you angry. If I had known what you were up to, I never would have allowed it. Just what did you expect would happen?"

"But we didn't expect him to be capable of this!" Herne had stopped finding the prank funny when he received punishment work for it. "Why didn't anyone tell me that he was a powerful mage."

Simon replied before Perci could begin a second lecture. "Probably because he didn't want it known. We don't know much about the man."

"Well, now you know that he's a great mage!" Schuylar, now that his hair was back to normal, acted as Master Radzimierz's defense. "I always knew that he was great, you just couldn't see it." He looked smug. Of course, it was easy to be smug when you were one of the few people present without green hair.

Trying to distract himself, Herne used Schuylar as an escape. "And just how did you avoid the spell?"

"I glamoured Myles' and mine back before breakfast." His cheeks became tinted with pink. Schuylar vividly remembered the way his friends had looked at him the last time he had used his Gift. "Myles asked and it was easy enough to."

That got their attention.

"Now that I think about it," said Perci. "You do seem to have a very powerful Gift. Why train for a shield when you should be at the City of the Gods?" He noticed how bashful Schuylar had become. "If you don't want to sa-"

"My grandmother said I had to." Seven pairs of eyes stared at him. "I'm the only male child, so I had no choice."

The mood turned bleak for the rest if the meal. And the same general mood continued for the rest of the day. Not even Sir Asher's undignified hollering changed the mood. It wasn't until after lunch and the majority of classes that there was any change.

It was time for history, and to face Master Radzimierz.

As they sat at their desks, it was easy to feel the anxiety. Some of the pages were annoyed with the mage, others frightened by his previously unknown Gift. Would he punish those who had defied his glamour? Praise their ingenuity? Would they all be punished again in person? They waited and waited, but Master Radzimierz was late to his own class.

Eleni was suspicious.

When the man in question finally appeared, he acted as if there weren't a dozen boys with green hair before him. Master Radzimierz began his lecture almost immediately and never once played with his hair. Right about the point when he was recalling more social reforms of the Rittevon dynasty, he finally addressed a student.

"Amorite!" He signalled out a third year page who had not stopped fidgeting. "Either you sit still, or you sit outside. The choice is yours." He then continued with the lesson, never giving the boy a chance to respond.

Now, Eleni was truly suspicious of the mage. She hadn't pegged him as the most free spirited of men, but he had never appeared to be a authoritarian either. Something was very wrong with this Master Radzimierz. Curious, Eleni redoubled her observations of the blonde.

He wasn't fiddling with his hair, that was the first thing that troubled Eleni. The man had disciplined all of the royal pages because a handful had dared to turn it green, and he acted as if his hair was just hair. His skin wasn't as pale as it usually was, it looked as if he had spent a whole afternoon outdoors. What he was playing with was a very shiny locket on a gold chain around his neck. The bauble was distracting by itself, but the way his kept flashing it was driving her insane. There was something else that was wrong. Master Radzimierz had dark green eyes, but this man had brown eyes. The difference wasn't that striking to the other pages, but they hadn't been raised to read people.

This was not Master Radzimierz, not by a long shot.

The lesson over, the impostor released the class. Eleni waved off her friends, intent on staying behind to speak with the man. After making sure that she wouldn't anger the mage, the boys left. She was sure that more than one of them was going to beg Schuylar or Perci to glamour his hair back to normal. Jarek of Amorite was the last page to leave the room, bowing respectfully to Master Radzimierz as he did.

Now, it was just Eleni and the impostor.

"Did you need something, Pirate's Swoop?"

A part of her conscious recognized the voice. There was no mistaking the call of the birds and the melody of the rolling waves. She had heard that voice, singing over her cradle when she had been a babe. The rings upon his hands had drawn her eyes more than a decade ago. The damned trinket around his neck was hers, one that he had bestowed upon her. He had made miniature crows flit above her cradle, always the entertaining and dutiful nursemaid. The man had known Eleni her whole life, but he was not the man she had spoken to the day before.

Kyprioth the Trickster had played quite the trick.

"Do your siblings know what you're up to?"

Alianne had taught her daughter to be wary of the Trickster. During those lessons she had learned that he could be intimidated by few things. Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess were his only fears. As her mother had taught, "When you have a killing blow, take it."

Kyprioth was not amused. His borrowed eyes turned to steel.

"Does your mother?"

The door shut of its own accord and the shutters sealed the windows. Before her very eyes, the god shed the illusion of mortality and took up his preferred form. The light emanating from the god blinded and forced her to her knees. When Eleni could see again, the was a lean and wiry raka with a salt-and-pepper beard where her teacher had once stood. Now, he meant business.

Refusing to back down, even to a god, Eleni continued to goad him. She was stubborn to the end. "No sparkles to accompany the lights?"

Leaning back on Master Radzimierz's desk, Kyprioth had to admit that he was impressed by the little girl. No fear and plenty of gumption. He had chosen correctly, it was clear now.

"I'm sure you'll get all the sparkles you want when your grandmother hears of what you're doing, chick." _Cornered_, he thought. He watched her squirm for less than a minute, and saw the fright turn to steel. "Not afraid of a god. And not afraid of the Lioness. What a conundrum, little one."

"What do you want?" Eleni knew there was no way she could defeat a god on a mission. Her mother had taught her that too. When the gods wanted you to do something for them, you had little choice. "Well?"

"Is that the tone you take when addressing a god?" He was enjoying this too much, but it would be worth it. The chick was too headstrong to obey otherwise. Eleni did not waver. "Fine, be that way. I want you to leave Radek alone." At her awestruck look, he clarified. "The loon swore his life to me, after he got himself in trouble. The poor thing would die if anything happened to his appearance. I simply request that you don't indulge in the need to nettle him. See, I like to look after my own."

"That's it?" She had expected a mission. A life-altering revelation that would change history. "Leave the teacher alone" was not what she had expected at all.

"Yup," he said. He decided to tease her a bit more. "Did you want something more? There aren't any revolutions stirring, but if you want I can start one just for you."

"Mother was right." Eleni thought back to how her mother had described the god. Alianne was still sore for all that she had been put through.

"I bet she had wonderful stories to tell." The grin on his face looked as genuine as any, but he was also the patron of players. He knew how to act.

"None that praised you. I remember her cursing you on more than two occasions." That chafed him, and Eleni took the higher ground. "Said you were a silly crow with too much time on your hands. I see she was right." Turning for the door, she called over her shoulder. "You gave your message, you can let me out now."

She was dimissing him. Him! A god! When she reached for the handle, Eleni burned her fingers.

"I should have made you mute," he said. Truly it would have made his existence easier. "I had the chance." He returned to his happy countenance, now that Eleni's hand had been burned. "Did you enjoy my trick? Wasn't it delightful?" He was no more than an overgrown child looking for praise.

"Which trick?" Her hand was beginning to hurt and she had little patience for his silliness. "Pretending to be Master Radzimierz? I'm sure Jarek of Amorite knew what you were. The poor boy was almost blinded by you!" She was yelling at him again, almost as if she hadn't been burned the last time she was disrespectful.

"Not that one," he waved her words away. "I meant the surprises you all got this morning."

"That was you!" Burns or no burns, Eleni was livid. Her life was cursed, if this one had decided to meddle in it. "My hair was green!"

"So was everyone else's," he replied nonchalantly. "Besides," he pushed himself off the desk and stood before her. Taking her burned hand in his larger ones, he continued. "It was necessary. You two had to make up."

Her hand healed, Eleni racked her brain. Could he be referring to Schuylar? "The Fool?"

"See that's exactly the attitude that forces me to intervene. He's a good friend, he'll prove it before long."

"You gave almost two dozen boys green hair to get me to make up with Schuylar?" Eleni couldn't believe his logic. She should have listened to her mother. Gods brought nothing but headaches.

The door openned and Kyprioth began to fade. As he disappeared, he said, "Trust me, chick. You'll need him soon enough. And you'll thank me."

Ringing bells told her that she had been kept captive for less than a few minutes. Shaking her mind of Kyprioth's folly, Eleni went to sulk in her room. If the gods were interfering, she was in for it.

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**Comments? I thought it had been a while since any of the gods had butted in, and it seemed that green hair was right up Kyprioth's alley. So, yeah... A bit of foreshadowing at the end there. I told you that Schuylar had to be part of the group! Thanks for reading!**


	24. Whipping the Hate

**For xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, RooenEnnyte, and xMxRosex. Thanks for the reviews!**

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The weeks after Kyprioth's visit were uneventful, which only made Eleni worry. If a god had involved himself in her life, then there should be more activity. What was Kyprioth waiting for?

Classes dragged on. Master Radzimierz, gods watch over him, made no comment about the green hair incident. The pages had all changed their hair back soon enough and served their punishment hours.

The Lioness had departed for the Swoop. The harvest had come in. Eleni had been reminded to write a letter to her parents. She took wing a few times and explored the palace grounds. Nothing too important happened. With things moving at a glacial pace, Eleni and her friends found plenty of time to spend together. Days were filled with stories and laughter, blissful after so much drama.

The only interruption to the daily routine was the introduction of horsemanship and swordsmanship lessons. Lord Padriag had kept the pages away from the horses until October, insisting that they had to grasp the basics of other fighting styles before training with the hallmarks of knighthood. The announcement was joyfully welcomed.

While she had visited Candy on several occasions, she hadn't bonded with the mare as much as she would have liked. Having been raised on the Isles coupled the ability to shape-shift into a crow, Eleni wasn't going to boast about her skills with horses. It was one of those things she hadn't been trained for, and she was anxious to learn.

Lord Padriag would allow no other but himself to give the first riding lesson. It appeared that he was partial to horseflesh, at least much more than the typical lord. Indeed, he looked positively regal seated upon his black destrier, clad in a splendid tunic of Minchi gold and rose. To Eleni, it was far too extravagant an outfit to teach horsemanship in. Of course, it was no where near as extravagant as Sir Asher's. Conservatives seemed to feel the need to flaunt their wealth.

During the first riding lesson, the true horsemen shone. It was obvious that certain people had a way with horses and that others would sooner jump in the Olorun than get on a horse. Perfomances ranged from comic to tragic, and Eleni wondered how some pages would fare in future battles.

Perci seemed a natural with his horse, or it might have been the fact that he had already spent years honing his skills. Alex and Pier were also adept with their horses. There was something majestic about the way that Pierina carried herself. It was obvious that she had worked hard to attain the grace to look that capable on a saddle. As for Alex, Eleni's eyes strayed to him more than once.

On one of the occasions that her eyes strayed, Schuylar managed to walk his poor horse into Candy. The force of the collision was enough to knock Schuylar from the saddle. Lord Padriag was not pleased with what he saw.

"Nicoline!" All of the pages cringed at the yell. "How can you expect to serve the realm, if you cannot even command your mount," he berated. "It is disgraceful! Either you learn how to control that beast, or I will personally dismiss you!"

Seeing her friend shrink into himself, Eleni interposed for him. Situating Candy in front of Schuylar, she sat up straight before the lord.

"Pirate's Swoop, move." It was a command, but Eleni refused to obey. She would not let this conservative belittle the silly boy. So what if his skills were shoddy? His heart was pure, and that would serve the realm more efficiently than a skilled rider. "I said move, boy!" When Eleni still wouldn't budge, she was confronted by the training master's crop. "Last chance, Pirate's Swoop. I will not tolerate insubordination! Move!"

What happened next was not clear to many and there would be many versions of the event. Herne would swear that the training master had purposely struck Myles. Sir Asher would stand by his lord and insisted the boy was to blame. Alex knew that Lord Padriag had let his temper get the better of him. Warren was sure that despite his character, Myles would not have sought out a physical confrontation.

Schuylar, who had been closest, saw what really happened. As if time had slowed down, he saw Lord Padriag strike out at Myles, hate burning in his eyes. The crop cracked upon Myles' cheek, bringing forth crimson blood, but no reaction.

Eleni felt detached from the whole scene. Lord Padriag was lashing out at someone else. The gash was inflicted on another page. When she finally came to, Eleni could only feel the sting of the cut above her cheek. Trembling fingers moved to gently probe the wound, and returned blood-stained.

Without a word, Lord Padriag turned his horse around and proceeded with the lesson. All of the pages chose silence over disobedience, Eleni included. There was no purpose in crying out at the training master's discipline. He was a lord and their teacher.

There were no more mistakes made that morning.

When lunch approached, a couple of the boys tried to get Myles to speak to them. Eleni waved them away, shamed by the spectacle. Schuylar was especially adamant, going so far as to follow him all the way to his room.

"Let me heal the cut," he pleaded. "It's the least I can do, Myles."

Eleni was exhausted and insisted that she could mend it on her own. "I'm sure Lokejo can bandage it up," was all she could murmur. Her strength had deserted her. "Please, Schuylar."

"But, it could become infec-"

"Schuylar," she had only raised her voice above a whisper. "I need to be alone for a bit. I promise I'll show up for lunch."

Not satisfied with his answer, but seeing no other path, Schuylar left for the palace baths. Lord Padriag had gone too far.

Defeated for the first time in her young life, Eleni closed her door behind her and slid down to the stone floor. Some part of her realized that Lokejo was not in the room. She was alone. Crying would have been reasonable, if she had been a girl. She knew she wasn't at liberty to act like a woman for many years to come.

_Just this once,_ she promised to herself. _I'll cry just this once._

It wasn't five minutes later that Eleni registered that someone was knocking on her door.

"Go away, Schuylar!" The boy was a good friend, but she had asked to be left alone. "I already said I'd go eat."

The person on the other side of the door chuckled. "Good to know, but you guessed the wrong person."

Eleni had to force every muscle in her body to move. The floor looked too good to leave, so harmless. Why get up and risk more insults? The was no choice but to open the door. She was fairly certain he could force the door open, if she didn't. There was a pair of cat-like eyes staring her down on the other side of the side.

"What do you want, Alexander?" Casually leaning against the door frame, Myles looked very much at ease. That is, if the drying blood and tears on his cheek had been easy to ignore. They weren't.

Pushing his way into the room, Alex herded Eleni to her bed. "Come now, Myles. Can't I check up on my lion cub?" His hand was already glowing with his Gift, poised above her cheek.

Eleni slapped his hand away. "No, you may not." Again, Alex tried to heal her cheek. "Don't call me that, either." Another slap to Alex's hand, but he would not be deterred. "Leave me alone!"

This time, Alex caught her hand. Staring her down, he activated his Gift again. "Just let me heal this up, and I'll leave."

Eleni didn't fight. "Why are you being so nice suddenly?"

It made no sense to her. Alex's emotions were more turbulent than the waves of the Emerald Ocean. There were times when she had been sure that all he could feel towards her was a burning hatred. Other times he had been patient and made the effort to help her.

In no time at all, the gash was gone. Eleni found it curious that she had let him, of all people, heal her. She had even sent Schuylar away, but she had let Alex help. He confounded her to no end.

"You never answered my question," she said.

Alex was almost to the door before he found the words. "I don't hate you. I realized that a while back. I don't and won't hate you. I could, it wouldn't be difficult, but I won't. I just can't be your friend, either."

He was gone before Eleni raised her head. Alexander of Tirragen had proved that he wasn't an enemy, but he was proving himself a mystery.

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**You know how bullies cower in front of older siblings and teachers, and then go back to beating up the younger kids? I see Lord Padriag doing this whenever Alanna isn't around. He has quite a bit of hate for the liberal families, and "Myles" is a foreigner too.**

**Did we notice that we managed to skip to October? Yay! Reviewers will receive cookies and commendations!**


	25. Rekindling the Madness

**As promised, cookies (or biscuits) for xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, RooenEnnyte, and xMxRosex. An especially jumbo cookie for Tishica, who was just overflowing with questions! Thanks for the reviews and comments!**

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Winter arrived faster than anyone had expected it to. Snow hit the fields before the farmers up north were prepared. The cold took its sweet time reaching Corus, and Eleni was just fine with that.

By the end of November, snow still hadn't reached Corus and the pages were still conducting their training outdoors. Schuylar was finally capable enough on a horse that Lord Padraig wasn't inclined to criticize him too harshly. However, his outburst was anything but forgotten by the pages. An example had been made, and another one was not needed.

Slowly, but surely, they were all improving their skills. Lessons continued to be tedious, and the work boring, but the eight friends were as happy as could be. It was some time after the riding crop incident that the older pages took it upon themselves to offer the younger pages help. Perci was an excellent rider and student, so Schuylar became a protoge of sorts. "Myles" was left to Warren, who, despite constantly teasing him about being a lightweight, drilled him close to death. Eleni was simply not made for wrestling.

Luckily, all three of the young pages found themselves surprisingly skilled when it came to swords. Though Eleni was more at ease with knives, she didn't mind the sword. To her, it was another weapon that she could master. At times it seemed as if the sword would master Schuylar, but he too held his own. Devin was the true star, and Lord Padraig took note. He was frequently complimented by the training master, and teased by his peers.

When the snows finally covered the capital, it was already December. After the wonder of the soft, white flakes had passed, Eleni was left with nothing but a bone-chilled dislike for snow. Flying was quickly forbidden by Lokejo, who worried about how the cold would affect her. That only worsened Eleni's mood. How could Tortallans stand these temperatures? Her discomfort became the season of the week for the boys.

On a particularly cold Sunday, all eight of the pages were spending a leisurely afternoon in the Green Library. After their plot had backfired, the room continued to serve as a study room and den of mischief. It was the only place where all of them could gather comfortably. It was also offered a spectacular few of a shivering Myles of Pirate's Swoop.

"Too cold, Myles?" Schuylar never learned. He was always the first to tease, and the first to receive a rap on the head. Eleni would always be faster than him, and the swipe to his head proved it.

"Is it my fault that it's so blasted cold on this continent?" Eleni had been enjoying the past few months, even adored the cool breezes that autumn had brought. This bitter cold of winter was a different story all together.

"You do realize that we're inside," Herne defended. Someone had to act as intermediary or another brawl would break out. "And every fireplace in the palace is lit. How are still cold?"

"Spend the first ten years of your life on a steamy island, and then tell me that the temperature here is fine."

That gave them a laugh, which interrupted the only other person in the Green Library.

"Do you mind?" The tiny voice came from behind one of the overflowing bookshelves, but it was definitely female. When the girl appeared, the boys instantly quieted. She was a beauty, and the boys were stunned. Eleni was not impressed.

Upon closer inspection, Eleni noted that she wasn't young, just petite. The lady, as she had to be older than originally presumed, had ivory white skin that could have rivaled the snow outside. Her chocolate brown eyes were only further accentuated by her russet hair. Clad in a vermilion gown and adorned with gold and carnelian, she looked every bit the noble lady. This lady was not pleased by the ruckus, and made it known.

"I thought I could read in peace here, so if you would so kind as to leave," she indicated towards the door with a dainty hand.

Apparently, Perci was not impressed either. He even knew who this brusque young lady was. "Calm down, Cerid," he said without rising from his chair.

"You know her?" asked Herne. He was very interested, too interested for Perci's taste. After a stern look, he quickly apologized.

The others had finally broken free of the beauty's spell and were riveted on Perci's words. Devin looked especially fascinated by the lady and practically absorbed Perci's words, but his eyes never left the lady. Eleni saw the budding crush before Devin himself.

"She's a friend of Claire's from the convent," Perci explained. Turning back to the disregarded lady, he smirked. Perci had never smirked in front of them before. "Looking to sink those claws into some poor man's heart, Cerid, darling?" Perci had never teased anyone either.

If Cerid could bring out these unheard of qualities in Perci, Eleni wanted to know more about their relationship. Things were going to get interesting, that was certain.

"Barbarian," she hissed. "I thought living with civilized people would have corrected your poor manners." Poor manners? Perci? "Poor Claire, reduced to living with such an uncouth animal."

Perci took the insults in stride, never losing the smirk. "I could say the same, darling. The Sisters at the convent couldn't do a thing about that mouth of yours. Such a pity."

_Oh, yes,_ Eleni thought. _Very interesting, indeed._

"Primitive," she shot at him.

"Vain."

"Imbecile."

"Garish."

"Savage."

The smirk on Perci's lips blossomed. "Cow."

With a final harrumph, the scorned lady left the library. Her walk indicated that she was vexed beyond belief, but no one except Eleni noticed. Everyone else was too busy staring at Perci. He wasn't even trying to contain his glee, and that was what scared the pages. While Perci continued to laugh, his friends watched in silence, worried he had lost his mind.

Ever curious, Schuylar was the first to speak. "Who's Claire?"

Seeing that Perci was too busy enjoying his triumph, Herne answered for him. "Perci's older sister. She's supposed to be presented to the court this Midwinter. Perci?" When he received more chuckles as a reply, Herne sighed.

"And Cerid?" Schuylar would be killed by his curiosity, Eleni was sure of it. "Who's she? She's pretty." His final statement made Devin blush scarlet. Herne tried to avoid answering, but Schuylar was persistent. "Tell us!"

Not knowing whether to laugh at the situation or to strangle Perci for leaving explanations to him, Herne gave up the struggle. "Cerid of Golden Bluff." Schuylar gave him a very hard nudge to the ribs. "Perci and her have a bit of a rivalry. She brings out the worst in him, I'm afraid."

The sound of the fierce lady brought Perci back to the world of the lucid. "Anymore of that hair dye left? Green would look lovely on her. Yes, it would make her very pretty."

Appalled at the monster that had been unleashed, the pages hoped that Cerid of Golden Bluff would make herself scarce. It would take all of them to keep the two from killing each other.

It was another few days before Eleni saw Cerid again. Between the fatigue brought on by serving in the kitchens during the banquets and the biting cold, Eleni was almost too tired to recognize the lady. She had been clad in a bright blue cloak, which, in Eleni's opinion, would never have matched the saffron gown she wore. Hidden as Cerid was by the snow-covered shrubbery, Eleni almost missed her.

_If she's hiding, then she doesn't want company._

Though she tried to avoid her, Cerid caught sight of her as she tried to sneak by.

"You," she called out. Eleni pretended she hadn't heard, but Cerid grabbed hold of her arm. "You were one of the boys with Perci the other day."

Not sure if it was a question or statement, Eleni nodded. "Yes, milady." Remembering her manners at the last minute, she bowed.

"That's not necessary," she said. Drawing Eleni up, she studied the page before her. "What's your name?" The question was a common one, but the look in her eyes was not. Something was wrong.

"Myles of Pirate's Swoop, milady."

Another unknown emotion appeared in her eyes. "The Lioness's grandson?"

"Yes, milady."

Cerid gave her a small pat on the shoulder. It was a gesture that Eleni would have expected from an older sister.

"Would you do me a favor?" Cerid reached under her cloak and took out an envelope. "Give this to Perci for me?"

Eleni didn't have a chance to agree or decline, before Cerid had walked away.

_That was not normal._

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**I wanted to make this chapter funny, after the drama the last one brought up. When we originally met Perci, he had a happier side to him. Time to bring back the mischievous side of Percival of Legann! We all have that one person who can make us act like we're five years old, and Cerid is Perci's. I also wanted to develop him a little more. **


	26. Tending the Heart

**Many thanks to xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, Tishica, R0ki, and xMxRosex. Thanks for the reviews and comments!**

**I am also very glad to say that the story has received over 5,000 hits! :)**

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Midwinter Night came and went, and with it Perci. It was a rare hour that he spent with his friends. With the exceptions of meals and training, he wqas always gone. There were days that Eleni wondered about the contents of the mysterious letter she had been asked to deliver, but she knew that it had nothing to do with her. Still, her subconscious told her that Perci's constant disappearances were because of Cerid's letter.

When she delivered the letter, Eleni noticed that his eyes had softened at the envelope, as if he knew who it was from. Eleni's words had only made him smile more brightly, and she had wondered again about their relationship. It was a completely different matter when he read the letter inside. He just walked away from her, never saying a word.

After two weeks of wondering, Herne had amassed enough courage to ask. It had been agreed that a small birthday party would be held for Perci in the Green Library, but they had been hard pressed to convince him to attend. If they all asked together, there was surely no way that he could avoid the questions. He was surrounded by friends who were genuinely concerned.

Perci denied any such changes in his behavior and left at once.

"Simon," Herne said as he watched his friend go. "Follow him."

It was a suicide mission, and they all knew it. Perci had a temper that could match Myles', and he was quick to unleash it. Simon would be safe, though, because Perci saw him as a younger brother. Later that night, when Simon returned to the library-turned-haven, he was silent. Though Herne demanded answers, and it was obvious by the look in Simon's eyes that he had gotten one, Simon remained quiet.

"It's not my place to say," were his only words.

That had made the pages wonder even more. If the matter was grievous enough to haunt Perci for days and weeks, then it was serious. Eleni, was the only one among the pages who knew the affair had been started by Cerid's message. While it could have shed some light on the situation, she, like Simon, knew that it wasn't her place to tell.

Tired of speculating about the letter alone, Eleni confided in Lokejo. His initial response was to chuckle and ruffle her hair.

"Little one," he had emphasized the 'little'. "One day, you'll be writing letters to young men as well. It's not such a big mystery." Eleni was only confused even more. "It's a love letter, chick."

Understanding blossomed in her eyes, quickly followed by doubt.

"I don't think so," she asserted.

"You're young, still. You'll understand when you're older."

"No," she groaned. Eleni was beginning to tire of being considered 'too young' for the discussion. "I mean that Perci was upset after the letter. He's been vanishing for weeks!"

"He's off to meet her in secret," was Lokejo's casual reply. He chuckled at Eleni's blush. "When two people argue like you said they did, it's more than probable that they're in love. They just don't know how to express it. I'm willing to bet the letter was a confession."

"Then why keep it a secret?" Something was not right. If the letter had been a simple confession, then his reaction would have been different. Perci would not have just crumpled like he did. "His actions aren't those of someone in love. It's almost like he's-"

Her heart clenched in her chest. Cerid had been brought to the palace to be presented to the court. That was when marriage contracts were arranged. Even if they had loved each other, there was no hope now. The sigh, the weary looks, the hours he went missing after reading the letter. All of it made sense now. Eleni wished that it didn't.

"Like what, chick?" Eleni had stopped speaking mid-sentence.

"Heartbroken," she croaked. Her eyes had become misted. "Lokejo, it wasn't a love letter! She was rejecting him! Cerid was brought here to find a husband. Guess, she found one quickly."

Lokejo tried to sooth the desolate girl, but it was no use. Long after the midnight bell had been rung, Eleni was still crying for her friend.

Life was just not fair.

Dawn found Eleni in the same spot that midnight had seen her. Softly crying on her bed, wondering how Perci could handle the situation. Why wasn't he crying his heart out? Spiteful laughter brought her out of her trance.

"Look at the little chick, crying her little eyes out."

The crows were back, teasing her her as they were prone to do. The female from the first disturbance was their leader, and always the first to harass Eleni.

"Go away," she mumbled. After a full night of crying and no sleep, Eleni didn't have the strength to argue with them.

"What was that, chick?" Long ago they had learned to not enter her room, that the "dark one" would not allow it a second time.

"I think she fell out of her nest," said another crow. His jab was followed by laughter of his flock.

It was all the motivation Eleni needed to get out of bed. In less than a minute, she had crossed to the window and slammed the shutters closed.

"They are not what I need today." Furious hands rubbed at her eyes, but there was no way to mask her bloodshot eyes. Nothing would make the puffiness recede, and Eleni couldn't summon the will to use her Gift. Bowing down to the fact that today would be one of the most miserable days in her young life, Eleni set to getting dressed.

Lokejo knocked on the door a half-hour later, and when she didn't open the door, he let himself in. Eleni hadn't even made the effort to move away from her bureau. Sighing to himself for what would not be the last time that day, Lokejo took the brush from her hand. Ever so gently he placed his large hands on her slim shoulders and stared into the eyes of her reflection.

"Listen to what I'm going to say to you." Eleni gave the smallest of nods. "None of this is your fault. Compassion is a wonderful trait in a knight, but don't let it eat at you." He gave her a gentle shake. "Now go outside and stand proud. Perci isn't locked away in his room, moping for a lady. Besides, you're not even sure that's the problem."

He could only shake his head in disbelief as he wacthed her go.

_Gods, preserve me. _Lokejo feared the day his little girl would turn into a lovestruck, sobbing lady. _Never let that day come._

Convinced that Eleni would brighten by lunch, he set to righting her room.

Outside of the room, Eleni had already hit a bump on the road to cheering up: Alexander of Tirragen.

While they had managed to avoid interacting for the most part, encounters were inevitable. Just as he was about to comment on her eyes, Pierina exited her room. Without being told to, Alex fell into step a few paces behind the frigid page. Eleni gave a sigh of relief. She hadn't really spoken to him since the day he had healed her cheek, and she meant to keep it that way.

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**As I was writing this chapter, I realized that I had never mentioned that Perci turned fifteen that winter. He's one of those kids whose birthday is all the way at the end of the year and are held back for it. Generally speaking, pages are ten when they begin page training, and Perci was almost eleven by the time he started.**


	27. Welcoming the Spring

**Many thanks to xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, Tishica, R0ki, and xMxRosex. Thanks for the reviews and comments!**

**Can anyone believe that the story has received over 100 reviews? I can't! I never thought the story would become so popular.**

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By the second day of February, Eleni was certain that it would take all of her willpower to survive winters in Tortall. There had been a week long blizzard, and the skies had cleared only the night before. Eleni had skipped out on the day trip her friends had planned. She had a feeling her Sunday would have been better spent expelling her frustrations.

Archery practice appealed to her, and it would allow her time to think. A few hours of practice were all that she would need to feel at peace again. The idea of peace lsted only as long as it took her to arrive at the archery yard. The entire thing was covered by snow! Growling, Eleni trudged her way through ankle-deep snow.

"At least the tragets are free of this white plague," she grumbled. She just couldn't wait for winter to be end!

The arrows flew with the clean precision of a master marksman. This was her arena, and everyone in the palace knew it. Even Sir Asher had been forced to admit that "the boy" had talent when it came to the bow. She had taken pride in his acknowledgement, though it had clearly hurt him to say it.

When the arrows in her quiver ran out, she would recover them, all on the target's center. It proved to be a repetitive, but relieving task. Eleni would simply repeat the entire process all over again. Loose an arrow, loose another, walk to the target, recover the arrows, and start again. The routine proved comforting.

Eleni spent the entire morning, until the noon bell, firing arrow after arrow. The palace bells were the only indicators that any amount of time had passed. She ignored the bell, until her stomach insisted on lunch. Chuckling at herself, Eleni made one last trip to the target.

Despite having walked the path over a dozen times already, and in a rare moment of gracelessness she managed to trip. Failing to catch herself, she fell face first to the cold ground. Eleni had never noticed the rock when she had walked the path, but she noticed it when it met her lip.

Pain flared and Eleni fought to stifle her screams. Eleni forced herself back up, but what she found was not pleasant. Her knees were surely bruised and the split lip she had wouldn't stop bleeding. She could only be thankful that no one was around to see her fall.

She was wrong.

A certain dark-haired older page had just entered the yard, intent on passing through to get to the pages' stables. His golden eyes had seen her stumble and then fall. When the tiny redhead took his time getting up, he knew something was not right. He swore his feet moved of their own volition, but he didn't really mind.

"That seems to be a favorite color of yours, Myles." He knelt down beside, barely minded the snow.

"Go away, Alexander." Eleni could only groan in humiliation. Of all the people who could have witnessed her one moment of idiocy, Alexander had to be the one? _The gods hate me,_ she thought desolately. And her lip was still bleeding. Her fingers tried to wipe away the blood, but Alex's hand stopped her.

"Now, now," he chided. "We don't want that cut to get worse, cub." His hands were gentle as they held her face. "Just as I thought," he said. "Bludgeoned yourself pretty badly here."

Eleni didn't recall the moment that he had leaned in so closely, but she didn't care. What she couldn't overlook was the red staining her cheeks. Her eyes strayed to his, watching how the golden color deepened in the light of his Gift. She vigorously berated herself for thinking such ridiculous thoughts.

"I thought you said you weren't going to help me anymore." Eleni could be stubborn, and it would help keep her sillier musings at bay.

She was hushed by a very upset Alex. "You speaking isn't making this any easier."

"But-" A firm hand on her jaw made her stop. He wasn't going to hurt her, but she'd probably do some damage herself if she didn't stop soon.

"There," he whispered. Tender hands wiped away the drying blood with a black handkerchief. Alex started to walk away from her before she realized it. "Try to keep from hurting yourself so much, lion cub."

As she watched his back, Eleni finally took noticed that her lip was fully healed. She pushed herself up and shook her head. Alex became more complicated every day. Her fingers touched her lips, and the memory of his own caring fingertips made her smile. She gathered up her quiver and set to gathering her arrows.

_I might need to see a healer, if I don't get a firm hold on my mind. Alex is dangerous. Don't forget it, Eleni. Dangerous!_

Her arrows safe in their quiver, she went straight to her room. Hunger and fatigue had crept up on her, and she was ready to vanquish both.

Without Eleni knowing it, Perci had made a slow return to the world of the living. It wasn't too long before he went back to the Green Library for study sessions, or he spoke to them. His eyes didn't wander again, and neither did his mind. He acted as if he had not avoided his friends or their questions for the better part of two months. No one brought up his past behavior, fearing he would confine himself.

March began with a cordial Perci helping the younger pages with their sword practice and horsemanship. Eleni saw no reason to bring up Cerid, because, to be honest, she hadn't seen Cerid since the day she had received the letter. Perci was back to normal, and there was no need to bring up the past.

There was a new worry on her mind: the Examinations. She had listened to the older pages talk about them when the snows had begun to melt. It wouldn't be long, they had said, before it was time to take them. It was one of the reasons Perci had renewed his efforts to train Schuylar, because they all knew Schuylar needed the help.

"Again!" Perci's voice reverberate through the abandoned practice yard.

Perci and Herne had devoted their evenings to weapons practice, dead set against letting any of the younger pages fail the exams. The weather was still cool at night, but the humidity and the bugs were almost intolerable. Sweat made everything sticky, and the physical activity did not make anything better.

"Do I have to?" Schuylar was about ready to collapse where he stood. "I've already done the drill five times!"

Perci gave him a sharp jab with the pommel of his sword. "You'll do the drill, until you can do it in your sleep. Again!"

On the opposite side of the yard, practice was quieter. The only sound that could be heard was the clang of metal hitting metal. Herne did not need to do much coaching for Devin and Eleni, their skills were above criticism. In half a year, Eleni's skills with the sword had elevated to the point where they matched Devin's. Now they were evenly matched with the sword and it showed in their practice bouts.

Devin swung his blade in a wide arc to parry Eleni's sword. Faster than lightening, Eleni had stepped back and lunged, thrusting her blade below Devin's and straight to his heart. The sword tip stopped an inch from the boy's chest. No one said a word, even Perci and Schuylar had paused to watch.

A moment later the scream came.

"Halt!" Perci yelled.

Herne had forgotten to stop the match. Though they all knew Myles was quick, none of them had ever seen him move that fast. Devin was frozen in place, his arm still holding up the failed parry. It wasn't until Eleni recovered her stance and bowed to Devin that he came back to his senses.

"Wow," he whispered. Then his eyes lit up. "That was amazing! Where did you learn a move like that?" His enthusiasm boiled over and reached the others.

"Myles, I never knew you could do anything like that!" Schuylar had grasped the excuse to leave his own practice. "Well? Tell us!"

"Go on." Perci was interested, too, but he wasn't going to pounce on the boy to find out.

Blushing scarlet at her actions and at the cause behind them, Eleni couldn't speak. The truth was that she had watched Alex perform the maneuver on Artan just the day before. While she had executed the move well enough, it would never compare to the flawlessness of Alex's motions. His sword had moved with him, almost as if it was an extension of him. He was an excellent swordsman, and it wasn't hard to see it.

The blush on Eleni's cheeks intensified.

"I saw someone do the move. It worked for him, and I wanted to try it, that's all." She hurried through the explanation and hoped no one noticed her pink cheeks.

"Well," said Perci. "I'm sure he was impressive, if your movements were only an imitation of his."

After a few more minutes of congratulated Myles on his stupendous maneuvers, Perci forced Schuyar back to the other side of the yard. Just as Eleni thought that she would get away without anyone mentioning her red face, fate proved her wrong.

"Herne, you might want to take those two back in. Myles' looks like the cold is getting to him, his cheeks are red." He had mistakenly excused her blush as a simple result of the cool night.

_Gods, preserve me._

Eleni had no choice but to allow Herne to lead her and Devin back to their hall, the shock wouldn't let her do much else.

* * *

**Sorry if this took a while. My kitten shredded most of my right hand and everything is a little harder with bandages...**

**Tidbit Time! Feb. 2, according to old Gaelic tradition, is Imbolc. The holiday sounds the beginning of spring, and is very important for young girls and maidens, eager to be brides. I found it corny, but had to find a holiday in February for the two lovebirds. That and the coming of spring signalled the return of darling Perci. Don't worry, you'll all find out what happened with him soon enough.**

**Anyway, it seems that fencing has finally come in handy for something outside of the sport. I might actually be able to describe bouts as more than "they fought". Sweet. Tell me what you think, I love hearing from you guys!**


	28. Finding the Emeralds

**Many thanks to xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, Tishica, R0ki, Failing Mentality, Dajisary Goldeye, spazzysassyangel, RooenEnnyte, and xMxRosex. **

**Thanks for the reviews and comments!**

* * *

Eleni Crow was tired of practicing for the upcoming examinations, and very tired of the older boys' fascination with her new sword work.

In fact, if one more boy brought up how quickly she was taking to the sword, they would find themselves impaled by every blade she owned. Trying to avoid the bloodbath that would occur, she had taken to locking herself in her room after dinner. After three evenings of solitude, Eleni was questioning the harm that a little knife practice could inflict on a human body.

Recognizing the signs of frustration in his tiny charge, Lokejo knew he had to do something fast.

"It's warm again." The weather was always a safe topic. With normal people.

"Sure. Right. If you say so." Lovely and eloquent answers. Lokejo could only draw upon his vast reserves of patience.

"I was going to suggest you go fly around for a bit," he said slowly. He knew he had caught her interest. "But you're obviously not in a good mood." He had barely taken a step towards the door, when Eleni was literally upon him.

"Please! Really? You're not trying trick me are you?" She was wearing a sweet smile that had gotten her everything she ever wanted as a small child. It worked for most people, but Lokejo was immune to it by now.

"I don't know." He would tease her until she begged.

"I promise I'll behave! Really! I'll stay out of trouble. Please!" Lokejo found that a small taste of begging was always healthy for growing noble children. Taught them humility. But he wouldn't abuse his power, he loved her too much.

"All right," he consented. The squeal that followed made him cringe just a little. Should he ever become hard of hearing, he would swear that she was the cause. Eleni was looking at him with those all-too-sweet eyes again. "What now?"

"Leave," she quipped. Once again, she was blushing, a new quirk of hers.

Lokejo instantly understood. As he closed the door behind him, his head popped in for final instructions. "You'll be back before three bells. Got it?" A nod from Eleni sufficed for him. "Be safe."

The door had barely closed and Eleni cast off her human skin. The painful reformation of a skeleton was the least of her worries. Ebony black feathers covered her tiny body and an appreciative caw left her beak. Her sharp talons took care to not tear her discarded clothes on the floor. After an entire winter spent indoors, Eleni couldn't wait to fly out her window.

The window that was still securely closed.

A severely annoyed and irritated crow ruffled her feathers. She had forgotten to open the stupid window! Resigning herself to the necessary task, she shifted back into her human form. Beyond being an incredibly uncomfortable process, it left her standing completely bare in the middle of her room.

"Now, I have to get dressed all over again," she grumbled to herself.

There was no way she could open her window while naked. Anyone passing by would see a naked girl in Myles of Pirate's Swoop's private room. Still, she couldn't open the window completely, because passersby could also see her transformation. Cracking the window a little bit, Eleni hoped the shutters wouldn't be too heavy for her crow form to push through.

Suffering the transformation twice was arduous, but Eleni decided it was worth it. The thought of the wind beneath her wings was the only incentive needed to block out the pain. Her light body pushed against the opened shutters and flew out into the young night. If there was one thing she wouldn't have to worry about, it was the cackling murder that heckled her so often. At this time of night, they would have already settled down to sleep.

The first sounds that assaulted her were the sounds of a battle, but Eleni quickly ignored it. It wasn't a battle, only Perci and Herne drilling Schuylar and Devin through sword work. Without a care, she flew away from the noises, intent on avoiding the boys. She would find entertainment elsewhere tonight.

Silence filled the palace grounds. The only noises heard were the footsteps of the guards changing shifts. The night had blanketed the place in an almost smothering silence. Two circuits around the entirety of the grounds revealed nothing important or remotely interesting.

_Well, _Eleni mused. _This is sure to be boring. Nobody's doing anything!_

Defeated on her quest for something interesting, Eleni settled herself on a branch overlooking a garden. Even at night, the flowers were gorgeous, their beauty radiating in the dark. They were rare blooms, then again, Eleni had never seen many flowers besides those that grew on the Islands. Even with her limited knowledge of Tortallan flora, Eleni could tell that these were not native plants.

_If I must be bored, I will be bored in a pretty place, at least. _An hour of her allotted time had already passed, and nothing of interest had occurred.

Eleni was just about to fly another circuit around the palace grounds, when one of the glass doors on the ground floor were shoved open. Light flooded the gardens ahead of the doors, momentarily blinding Eleni. Then two figures ran through the open door, the second obviously chasing the first.

The first figure, a small blur to Eleni's eyes, had instantly run into the flowering shrubbery. Giggles had permeated the garden, and the laughter was infectious. The second figure was larger and did not appear happy. The stance alone, conveyed heated anger and frustration.

"Yasumaru," Eleni heard a voice called out, deep enough to be a boy's but not a man's. "This is your last warning, come out."

Now that the spots had vanished from her eyes, Eleni could see that the second figure was indeed a tall boy, probably not much older than her. With the help of the dim light filtering to the garden, she could only make out that he had dark hair and a lanky physique. What was definitely catching the light was the brooch on his tunic. Beady crow eyes focused on the green jewel, wondering how it would sparkle in the daylight.

Laughter echoed through the gardens for the second time, and the boy's hands began to glow emerald green. After a whispered incantation, the Gift-glowing body of a small boy rose from a shrubbery and remained levitated. The sweet laughter died and was replaced by whimpers. As lighted as the small boy was by the green Gift, Eleni could make out that the little toddler had dark hair too, and almond-shaped emerald tinted eyes.

With a flick of the older boy's hand, the toddler floated to the open door. Right behind the boy, the svelte youth closed the door firmly, preventing Eleni from learning more.

_At least I found something new. I suppose those two boys belong to someone who came to court with the old Yamani delegation. There's sure to be more interesting moments if I return to that garden. The boy was adorable!_

Laughing at the small boy's surprise at being caught, Eleni let out a caw that was meant to be a laugh. Sometimes, being a crow proved less than fun. The ability to laugh was just one of the things beyond the capabilities of crows. A caw would have to do for now, because Eleni was ready for bed.

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**Sorry, my hand is still wrapped up. **

**This chapter is a little short, because I wanted to introduce those two sometime before the second year. Any guesses on who the boys were? I promise that they are important to the future plot, and hope that you bare through this tiny bit of filler. **

**BTW, I'm still interested in suggestions for Eleni's knight master. I have one knight in mind, but if a better knight is brought up, I'll really consider it!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	29. Trapping the Cricket

**Many thanks to xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, Tishica, R0ki, RooenEnnyte, and xMxRosex. **

**Thanks for the reviews and comments!**

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Refreshed from her nighttime excursion, Eleni found herself much more willing to put up with the boys when morning arrived. Flying came naturally to her, but winter had kept her caged. Though she knew Lokejo had forbidden flying during the winter because he had worried for her health, she had pined away. There was no better feeling in the world than having the wind keeping you aloft.

As breakfast began, she could only marvel at her incredibly good mood. She even laughed at one of Schuylar's jokes, and that, frankly, scared her friends. They thought she had finally cracked.

"Did you just laugh at what Schuylar said?" Warren knew better than anyone that Myles' sense of humor was not compatible with Schuylar's. He'd seen how their separate ideals of the comical reacted with one anothers. The result was never pretty, but here was Myles, laughing uproariously.

"Of course," Eleni said. She actually had to wipe away a stray tear. "Does anyone else find the sausage especially delicious this morning?"

The boys just stared at the little redhead eat with renew vigor. Something was off.

"Did you do anything last night?"Herne had been put out when Myles refused to go join in on their nightly drills. He figured that one thing thing or another had stolen his time. The sudden change in his temperament was caused by something, and Herne wanted to know what it was. "We missed you in the practice yards."

Struggling to speak around a mouthful of bread, Eleni gave up and continued to chew. "I stayed in my room, decided to sleep early." It was partially true, she had gone to sleep earlier than usual.

Schuylar, wanting to try his luck with this cheerier Myles, jumped in. "Devin will beat you soundly if you don't practice. We'd hate to see your proficiency with the sword rust." None of the other pages shared his grin. In fact, Devin had covered his face with his hands, embarrassed that Schuylar would drag him into the teasing.

"Then I'll settle for being able to pierce your heart with my arrows." The response was quick and nonchalant, much more like the old Myles the boys knew. Seeing Schuylar's slackened jaw drop open, Eleni smiled. "No comeback for that one, Fool?" Definitely old Myles.

The pages did laugh at that. Myles would good-naturedly tease Schuylar into submission, and the silly boy would momentarily learn a lesson in respect. It was a time-tested method for keeping Schuylar in check, and a sign that Myles was still himself.

By the time the week ended, Eleni was itching for another night of flying. She had returned to her weapons practice and gotten the boys to stop asking where she disappeared to every night. It wasn't feasible for her to lock herself away every single night. But tonight she wanted to soar above the palace once more.

With a few words of parting to Lokejo, Eleni was alone for the night. Just as she was about to shed her clothes, she remembered to open her window. Always learn from your mistakes, that's what her mother would have said. Eleni gave the room a final look-around, and decided that everything was in order.

_Perfect!_

She was out the window and in the air faster than she had ever been before. The nights were final warm, but not stifling like they were back home. Home was always warm, sometimes too warm, and it was humid. The humidity never left the Islands, content to steam the residents year round.

After a hasty circuit over the palace walls, Eleni was bored again. Though, she loved flying, nothing seemed to happen at night. She would go flying during the day, when the grounds were bustling with activity, but people would notice that she was missing.

Eleni settled for exploring the gardens she had previously discovered. The gardens had been located on the western wing of the palace, so Eleni knew that they, and the room that led to them, belonged to a noble. The tenants were still a mystery, but she were sure she'd find out soon enough. In the meantime, the gardens were just ahead.

Tonight they were lit up, though, and most definitely not deserted. Landing on a branch just below the one she had perched on before, Eleni watched the scene in the gardens with fascination. Paper lanterns in a wide range of color were hanging on ornate wooden stands, bathing the gardens, and the inhabitants, with light.

_I thought they were Yamanis_, she thought to herself.

The two ladies sitting on the delicate marble benches were doubtlessly Yamani, there was no denying it. Their silk robes, albeit slightly different in cut from what she'd seen in books, were the traditional kimonos of the Yamani Islands. One of the ladies was draped in green silk and the second in sapphire blue. The robes were very pretty, but the women wearing them were simply beautiful. Both women sat straight-backed on the bench, making it look effortless.

Soft laugther caught Eleni's attention. She knew that giggle. Ahead of the ladies, children of all ages were playing, and among them were the two boys from the other night. In total, there were eight children in total; four girls and four boys. The toddler was running away from the older children, all of who were making a valiant effort to capture him. They were in the middle of a game of tag, and Eleni wished she could join them.

Eleni couldn't help but caw in glee when the boy evaded one of the older girls. The children were also laughing, but one of the women, the one clad in blue, distinguished her laughter from that of the children. She spoke in Yaman, so Eleni had no idea what she was saying, but her tone was gentle.

The toddler, the older boy had called him Yasumaru the other night, came to stand below Eleni. Through hand signals and the garbled speech of toddlers, he asked Eleni to fly down. Never one to resist children, she landed on his outstretched hand. Pudgy flesh gave way beneath her talons and she was careful to not hurt him.

One of the girls knelt beside Yasumaru and reached out with a tentative hand. She seemed to ask permission, and Eleni desperately wished she understood the language. Eleni relayed her confusion by cocking her head to the side. The girl mimicked Eleni's movement, herself confused.

Yasumaru found it funny and his giggles started up again. Without a worry in the world, his pudgy fingers started to pet her black head. Impressed by his feat, he went to show the two women. All the while, he whispered nonsensical things to the crow on his arm.

"Karasu!" He proudly presented his companion to the ladies.

The older girl came up right behind Yasumaru and spoke to one of the ladies. "I do not believe that Yasu's fried understands Yaman."

The green-clad lady leaned over to pick up Yasumaru and placed him between her and the blue-clad lady. "Your sister is correct, Yasumaru." A gentle finger stroked Eleni's beak. "Your friend must not understand your words. Speak to him in Common, dear." Eleni let out an insulted caw. "Oh, my, I think your friend is a she." She inclined her towards Eleni. "Forgive me, Mistress Crow."

"Friend!" The little boy was estactic and continued to pet her. Eleni had to admit, she liked the feeling, it made her relax.

"Can we not simply teach her Yaman?" The green-eyed youth, and all of the other children, had gathered around the bench.

"No!" Small Yasumaru adamantly defended his new friend. "My friend." His small arm came over her body and hugged her close to his chest. Pain instant brought her back to the present. "Galen bad!"

Eleni could only squawk at being held so tightly. He was crushing her fragile bones, but she didn't want to hurt him. Help came from the blue-clad lady. Placing a delicate hand on Yasumaru's head, she calmed him down.

"Galen, be kinder to your brother." The youth only bowed his head, embarrassed at being reprimanded. "I think," she said. "That your friend would be more comfortable if she could breathe." She looked up to one of the girls who had remained silent. "Liano, I believe we still have your cricket cage. Get it for Yasumaru's friend."

At the word "cage" Eleni panicked. They were going to keep her as a pet! She tried to break free of Yasumaru's hold, but he only held on tighter. Eleni was almost constricted in the little boy's arms. Seeing the struggle, Galen stepped in to take her from Yasumaru. Stronger hands held her now, and escape was beyond her grasp.

A minute later, the girl had returned with a small wooden cage. Eleni renewed her attempt to escape, and there was no need to be gentle now. Tired of crow's attacks, Galen used his Gift to subdue her. An emerald glow covered Eleni, and before she knew it, she was overcome by darkness. Satisfied with his work, Galen placed the sleeping crow in the cage and handed it to his younger brother.

"Make sure she doesn't escape, Yasu." The little boy was staring that still crow. "Don't worry," Galen comforted. "She'll wake up in a bit. Then you can play with her."

Yasumaru glowed with joy, but set the cage down beside his mother. With a small bow to the lady robed in blue and a quick hug from his mother, he grabbed his brother's hand. The other children had already returned to their game.

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**Oh, dear! Eleni got herself caught. Eh, she'll be fine. About not actually writing much in the way of dialogue, I figured that the children would speak to their mothers in Yaman. I know that I speak to my parents in Spanish. Generally, while in the home, children speak in their parents' language.**

**Some of you guessed that the two boys were Neal's kiddies. Good job. Any guesses for our other lady?**

**Anywho, thank you so much for your suggestions for knight masters. I'm always grateful for suggestions, they prove interesting.**


	30. Escaping the Children

**Cookies for xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, R0ki, RooenEnnyte, and xMxRosex. **

**I couldn't continue this without your support!**

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When Eleni managed to come out of her Gift-induced sleep, she was still in her little, wooden cage. As her tired eyes darted about, noticing that she wasn't in the garden anymore. In fact, she noted, it was a brand new day.

_That gods-cursed little mage used his Gift on me! As soon as he gets close enough, I'll tear his eyes out! The indignity! I have never in my life been treated so poorly. And by children no less! _

In her rage, she didn't hear someone enter the room. She only acknowledged the girl when her cage was roughly picked up. Holding the cage securely in her hands, the girl stared at the moving crow. A minuscule small graced her lips, but her emerald eyes were shining brightly.

"I am very pleased to see you awake, Mistress Crow. My baby brother made a fuss when you wouldn't wake up. Shook your cage quite vigorously." Eleni would have growled, if she had been able to. Shaking her cage, indeed!

But she didn't have time to be angry. Without a care in the world, the girl had thrust the cage below her arm and started for the door. Apparently, they were going on a trip. Eleni could only hope that one of the children would be foolish enough to open the cage. Lokejo was probably already half had from worrying.

The girl was assaulted by a multitude of children when she entered a second room. Hand tried to grab the wooden cage and Eleni was justled more than a sack of grain. Small voices called out in a dizzying mix of Common and Yaman. Half-deafaned by the noise, Eleni was surprisingly relieved to hear an ear-splitting whistle. It got the children to settle down.

The sound had come from one of the few people not trying to take her cage, the mage who had spelled her. Green-eyed Galen was the only male in the room who was older than ten, and obviously the one in control. Various children voiced their disgruntlement at having their fun interrupted, but he ignored them.

"If you do not settle down, I will set the bird free." Eleni fervently wished that the children acted up again and that he would be forced to free her, but the children remained quiet. "Good. Miuko, hand me the cage." His voice was authoritative and left no room for arguments.

However, Miuko was not one to be ordered around. "Mistress Crow does not belong to you." She held the cage up to show off the crow to the small children in front of her. "Besides, after that spell you used on her, I doubt she wants to go with you."

The children were behaving properly, and making appreciative cooing noises. Eleni had now resorted to praying. Every god in the Divine Realms was receiving a prayer from the half-crow, asking to be freed. If one of these children would simply undo the latch that locked the cage. Tt would only take one stray hand to undo the stupid latch!

"Give her to me, Miuko." Galen had made his way through the sea of children and stood with his hand outstretched. "Now."

"Why should I?" Dear gods, they were going to argue.

"I am the oldest," the boy stated simply. His greater-than-thou attitude was starting to annoy Eleni. Just who was this Galen?

"The oldest boy. Do not forget your place, little brother." Miuko walked past her stunned brother and bowed to two nearly identical girls sitting on a couch. "Your highnesses."

"Miuko, be kinder to Galen," the girl with warm brown eyes chided.

"I am very sorry, your Highness."

From her vantage point beneath Miuko's arm, Eleni could study the two girls. Because of the way Miuko had addressed the two young ladies, Eleni could surmise that these two were Princesses Lianokami and Aiokami, Crown Prince Roald's eldest children.

"Stop it." Despite her calm face, two bright red patches had appeared on her cheeks. "Do not call me by a title."

"Sorry, Liano." There seemed to be little love lost between the girls. Though she had only seen them interact for a few minutes, Eleni knew the two older girls were excellent friends.

The other princess was Aoikami, and she had inherited the sapphie Conte eyes. "Come, Miu," she patted the couch. "Show us your new friend."

Eleni was yet again presented as some silly trophy. How long before they tired of her? Eventually they would grow bored of having her in the cage, it was only a matter of time. Patience was her friend in this predicament. Eleni just had to wait for one of them to unlock the cage, then she would fly far away.

"Karasu!" That word again. As her eyes darted about the room, she saw Yasumaru and his mother enter. He was already making a beeline for her.

"Yasumaru," his mother called out. "Remember that your new friend doesn't speak Yaman." As if sensing what her eldest son would say, she added, "And we will not force her to learn Common."

Galen visibly withered at his mother's words and left the room. Clearly, he was a proud little mage. In the meantime, Yasumaru was trying to pry Eleni away from his sister.

"My friend!" He was adamant, that could not be denied. However, his methods didn't work with Miuko. If anything, she was getting annoy. That is, if Yamanis could show annoyance.

"Yasu, go play with Jonnie. Poor Jonnie's been waiting for you this whole time. Go on." It was a brave effort. She tried to dismiss him and hide Eleni at the same time. It didn't work.

"No! My friend." In no time at all, a tantrum was underway. His mother hung her head, as if asking for the patience to handle her children.

"Yasumaru. Miuko." Her voice was soft, but, somehow, Eleni knew their mother was angry.

_I certainly am. _

Silence fell over the room. The children who had been playing quieted at the lady's words. They knew what was coming. Rapid words were exchanged in Yaman between the Miuko and her mother. Still, Eleni had to admit, that even while arguing, Yamanis knew how to keep composed.

"Fine!" Miuko thrust the cage at her little brother and stormed out of the room. So much for composure. Her friends sighed in unison and rose to follow. They gave a quick bow to the lady.

"I apologize for Miu, Lady Yuki," Aoikami said.

"You know that she has a temper," her sister added.

And just like that the two princesses had left. Eleni didn't have the chance to contemplate what their departure meant for her, because Yasumaru was shaking her cage. Seeing that the new pet was in the possession of someone smaller, the remaining children gathered around Yasumaru. Eleni found herself surround by children, and more than a little frightened.

One boy with startling blue eyes and coal black hair was extremely fascinated. "How about we let her fly around a bit? It must be cramped in that small cage." He sound genuinely upset for her circumstances, but Eleni cared more for the possibility of being freed.

"Okay!" Yasumaru agreed with the enthusiasm all toddlers possessed for new ideas. His little fingers were undoing the latch before he had finished saying the word. Eleni's eyes were trained on the cage door.

Faster than lightening, she had burst through the opening. Right away, a piercing wail resounded throughout the room. It wasn't just Yasumaru protesting Eleni's escape, three other children were crying. To add to the din, someone had slammed the door open. Eleni shot towards the door, not interested in whoever it was that had joined the fracas.

The door closed before she could get through. Ready to peck the eyes of the man below her, Eleni realized too late that it was her grandfather. He grinned up at her, beseeching her to land on his wrist. Though put out, she did as she was asked. The children were instantly pacified.

The grin hadn't left George's mouth. He bowed to Lady Yuki and in the direction of the children. "I was almost knocked down by one of your daughters, Lady Yuki. I believe I heard her complaining about a 'silly crow'. I just happened to be looking for my own pet crow." He passed a gentle finger over Eleni's beak. "Imagine my surprise to find her here."

The cries started up again. The children were not pleased by the news he brought. Yasumaru was especially unrelenting in his protest, going so far as to kick George. Eleni cawed in amusement, glad that someone else was getting a taste of what she had endured.

Lady Yuki was not amused. Another round of softly spoken, yet obviouly angry, words were directed at the little boy. Bowing his head in shame he went to his mother's side.

"I do apologize, my Lord." A bow followed the apology. "My son is headstrong."

George brushed away her words. "No need, milady. I'm sure he just doesn't want his friend to go, but she must." He bowed once more to the lady and the children. "If you'll excuse me, I'm sure my pet would enjoy going back to our rooms."

The walk back to the Baron's suite was a slow one, but Eleni never considered flying ahead of her grandfather. She knew she was in enough trouble without sending him on a wild chase. And who knew who else might capture her in this form. Once inside George's office, she hopped off his hand and landed on his desk.

"We're going to have a talk," he said. His calm tone made her anxious rather than comforted. "And you're going to stay in that form, because it's the only way I'll manage to speak without you interrupting." Eleni let out an indignant squawk and puffed up her feathers. "Oh, stop it. You're lucky that Trickster told me to you were missing. Otherwise, you'd be eating crackers for a very long time."

Glowering at her grandfather, and even more incensed that Kyprioth had interfered, Eleni nonetheless settled down for what was sure to be a very, very, very long lecture. He'd never let her out of his sight again. Stupid Trickster.

* * *

_"How dare you interfere in with my chosen!"_

_The Divine Realms were thoroughly shaken by the furious roar. Despite the thousands who worshiped her as the "Gentle Mother", the Great Mother Goddess knew how to fight as well as her husband. At the moment, she was pinning her younger brother with her burning spear._

_"Dare to meddle in my affairs just one more time, crow, and it will take you millennia__ to recover. She. Is. Mine."_

_When she left, her brother was nursing the gaping wound on his shoulder. It didn't bleed, but it damn well hurt._

_"I said I take care of my own," he muttered to himself. "Can't expect me to ignore her just because you do."_

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**The Queenscove children are a real handful, but all of them are dears. More than one of them is destined for knighthood, and there is another one on the way. Neal has his work cut out for him.**

**I love Kyprioth. He said he looks after his own, and helping Eleni angers the Great Mother, so it's a perfect way to kick back during the weekend.**

**Part of me is just dying to move on the the squire years, but I can't! Arrgh. I have such great things in store for Eleni, it kills me that I can't write any of it yet.**

**Reviews make me feel loved! Thanks again for all of them!**


	31. Facing the King

**This one is just for HPLUVR71495 and R0ki, who went out of their way to read the last chapter. Dedicated fans make it all worthwhile.**

**And of course, many, many, many thanks to those who reviewed and added this story!**

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Eleni sat on her bed, her foot soundly fractured. Tormented groans left her small mouth which was temporarily fixed as a scowl. She'd done it to herself, and had no one else to blame. Kicking the solid stone wall of the palace had been the most absurd thing she had done in the last two days. Her poor foot had suffered for her imbecilic gesture.

"This has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever done." Wincing in pain, she wondered when she had acquired the habit of speaking to herself. "Just another change brought on by this place," she reasoned. Violet light encompassed her hands, soothing the self-inflicted injury.

Eleni figured that after the night's and this morning's events, her grandfather would skin her alive if she did anything stupid. One did not simply limp to an audience with the king, and George had insisted that she would meet with them after the noon bell. Part of her was tempted to fly far far away, but she quickly silenced the brewing rebellion.

There would be countless people hunting her down, if she tried to escape. Lokejo would probably kill her if she disappeared for a second time. He had been most unhappy with her, and promptly left her alone.

Her return to her room that morning had been less than joyous, and while Eleni was glad to be free of her grandfather, there was a greater challenge to face: Lokejo. He had not yelled, had not said a word. She knew that just below the surface of his cool facade he was seething, but he would never show it. He never did.

Long ago, Eleni had learned that when Lokejo was disappointed in her, he refused her his company. While she denied that it mattered much to her, it broke her heart. He was her dearest friend, and she needed him before facing the king.

_They'll most likely tell me to leave,_ she thought dejectedly. _I'm too much trouble for them._

The palace bells sounded the hour of her appointment, and Eleni could not delay the inevitable for a minute longer. Tortall's King and its Spymaster awaited. She had been instructed to go to George's study, because it was the only place that would guarantee privacy. Eleni was just glad that the Lioness had not returned to Corus just yet.

A very thick door was the only thing separating Eleni from a second long lecture. The color was rich and it was probably thick enough to block out noises. It was a very pretty door. After a few moments, Eleni admitted that she stalling. As she raised a fist to knock, it opened. No chance for escape now.

Leaning against the doorway, George observed his granddaughter. "Relax, lass." The mention of gender made her brows shoot up. "The king's already waiting. He just wants to see that your transformation." George had to push her in.

Eleni wouldn't have been able to relax if she had been spelled to. The king knew and George had ratted her out. Another of her mother's saying came to mind, Rats never change. Her grandfather had once been the King of Rats, so it only made sense that he would retain his old ways. More than one curse crossed her mind.

King Jonathan IV of Conté, sovereign king of Tortall was a very striking man. The splendid attire and silver coronet upon his head gave him away. With his ebony black hair, which was only slightly peppered with grey, and his sapphire blue eyes, it was easy to tell that the king had once been a very handsome man.

_Handsome enough to court Grandmother._ The thought made Eleni turn crimson. This was her king! Her king that she had been indirectly lying to. She couldn't see how she would escape from this one. _Perhaps, I was better off being a pet._

As if reading her thoughts, George gave her a firm nudge. "I said to relax, lass." He certainly did, making straight for couch in the office. The king had already taken the chair behind George's desk. That left Eleni standing all alone in the middle of the room. That did not ease her discomfort.

"Do I want to know why?" The king's words startled Eleni out of her dazed stupor. "Well?" He was waiting for an answer, but there was none to give. At least, there wasn't an intelligent answer to give.

George came to her rescue. "Alanna's legend got the best of her. I suppose Aly and I are to blame, Jon. We put the stories in the children's heads." Jonathan's countenance clearly said that he didn't believe George was to blame. "All right, then." He turned to Eleni, "I tried, lass, but this one's as stubborn as your grandma."

If George's words were meant to be comforting, he had failed once more. One simply did not lie to the king, but she had been caught doing just that. Gods, help her. Jonathan fixed his gaze on her and studied her, watching indecision and fear flit across her features. She was almost trembling.

"You know," his words startled her yet again. He chuckled, but it only unnerved her more. "Alanna was not afraid when she was found out. She didn't plan her exposure, either."

It was true, all of it. The Lioness had been found out by accident, but had stood her ground after the revelation. The thought of her grandmother helped strengthen her resolve. It might have been sooner than Eleni had planned, but if the Lioness had done it, so would she. Alanna had lied to a king as well, and she kept her shield. Maybe, Jonathan of Conte would prove himself a sympathetic ruler and not send her home.

The change of heart didn't go unnoticed. George silently applaud the girl, and Jon respected her just a little bit more for her valor.

"Ready to tell me the truth?" He would give her a chance, judge her and her words. Eleni could be as great as his Lioness one day, but she had to demonstrate her worth first. "Last chance, Eleni." Her name said aloud was the encouragement needed.

"Grandfather's words were partially true. I wanted to follows Grandmother's path, every last piece of it. My ma's told me tales of the mighty Lioness, of her deeds. All of them amazing! I needed to by like her. Disguising myself would show that I could do everything that she had done, that I was just as capable as her. I just wanted to be like her, your Majesty."

Eleni hung her head, realizing how childish her motives were. Not exactly heroic, but it was the truth. If nothing else, Eleni could attest to having been honest at the very end.

Jonathan finally smiled at the girl. She might not have been aware of it, but he all he could see at the moment was a young Alan. Memories flooded his mind, times long gone and well spent. The danger hadn't been in hiding, those years had been good to them all. The danger lay in the years after being exposed, and Jonathan wasn't sure if Eleni knew that, if she understood the gravity of it.

"Before I make my decision," he spoke slowly, making sure there were no misunderstandings. "I need to make sure that you understand a few things." Eleni did not speak, she was too busy hanging on his every word. "You will have a base and cheap reputation. Should you ever seek marriage, there may be few who would take you. Many will say that you cannot be trusted, that you hid for a reason. Rumors will run like wildfire. There will never be an escape from those who would have you sent back."

His words stung, but they were nothing compared to what the future would hold.

George had been silent long enough, he knew the sting Jonathan's words carried. His little lass could take so much, but there was no reason to shame and frighten her at this age. "Jon, don't you thin-"

"Yes, you Majesty." Eleni's words had cut over George's. Her violet eyes held the same determination that Alanna's had so often shown. "So long as I can prove that I am worthy of being Grandmother's follower, I don't care what anyone says. I want to serve you." No uncertainty, no sign of hesitating.

Eleni had made up her mind. And so had Jonathan.

"Return to your room," he said. Eleni's shoulders dropped in defeat and she vaguely wondered how much time she would be given to pack. "Myles of Pirate's Swoop, I expect to see you excel."

Amethyst met sapphire, and a visible calm washed over the room. Slowly, a smile blossomed on Eleni's face, and she knew that she had gained an ally.

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**Exposed! Le Gasp?**

**Sorry for cutting it off here, but it felt more dramatic this way. Forgive me? Anyway, I have a question. Can anyone tell yet why this is called "Second Chances" ? There have been a few signs as to why. Interesting in hearing from you guys!**


	32. Foxing the Squire

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed or added the story to their favorites list. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I see how many of you like the story. **

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After quickly hugging her grandfather and her rather bewildered sovereign, Eleni fled to office. George could barely believe that Jon had agreed to let his girl stay, much less let her stay as a boy. He waited a full ten seconds after the door closed to interrogate his king.

"What was that?" he demanded. Georged dropped down to his couch, tired already from the day's events. He really was getting too old for this sort of thing. "Alanna is going to kill you when she finds out what you did, you know that."

Jon had reclined back in George's chair, his eyes closed. His fingers were already massaging his temples. "Alanna might not like it, she will yell until she feels better about the situation, but I had to do it."

"Why, exactly?"

"The same reason you let her get away with it," he chuckled. "You and I both see a young Alan when we look at her. Besides, Alanna turned out all right."

"All right, sure," George grumbled. "She had no reputation to speak of, and hid out in the desert for over a year. The only thing that saved her in the end was reclaiming the Dominion Jewel." He ran a hand through his greying hair. "I don't want that for my little lass. I don't want her to suffer like Alanna."

"You still let her do it," Jon said. "She said that she understood what her lying entailed. We can only hope that she doesn't come to regret it."

The office was silent once more, both men fighting internal battles. Those were anything but quiet. The years ahead would bring trouble, there was no question about it. The real question was how they would handle the troubles themselves.

Deciding that nothing else could be done about his granddaughter, George switched over to business. "Come on, Jon," he said, rising from the couch. "We have that small uprising in Tusaine to discuss."

"No, you're right," he agreed. "We have business to deal with, regardless of what happens in our personal lives."

In another part of the castle, the mood was much lighter. Eleni had been sequestered by her friends before she could reach her room. They were one their way to the practice yards, even though it was already past noon.

"It's not that hot outside," Herne had countered. "I bet it's worse on the Islands."

"That is, unless he's embarrassed that his skills have rusted." Schuylar never could resist a chance to tease Myles. He never learned that it would only hurt him in the end. The teasing resulted in a challenge to duel. Schuylar should have learned.

For a particularly warm Saturday afternoon, the practice yards were unusually full. A few knights had lagged behind in the city, unwilling to leave Corus just yet. While none of the knights seemed to care about the pages, one squire was very fascinated. His warm, honey eyes were focused on the small redheaded page.

Eleni had begun to stretch out her arms, waiting for her opponent to do so too. Schuylar was reluctant to take up her challenge, knowing fully well that he would regret going up against Myles. His skills had improved, but Schuylar was still a novice with the sword when compared to his year-mates. After much goading from Simon, he finally relented. There was no use trying to run.

The duel had barely begun and Eleni had grasped the upper hand. Though Schuylar had a height advantage, she was quicker, much quicker. All Schuylar could do was hope to keep her at bay, his ranging reaching farther than Myles'. That strategy worked for all of two minutes, before Eleni slipped under his defenses, sword point tapping his breast.

Amid the applause from their friends, all Eleni could hear was her heartbeat pounding in her ears. There was an undeniable thrill that she had just felt. It was at that moment that Eleni realized how much she loved her life at the palace, her training. It might have been latent shock from having escaped exposure or the adrenaline rush from her duel, but something made her realize it.

Sheathing her blade, she held out her hand for Schuylar. "Good bout, Fool."

His only response was to flick her on the forehead and seek refuge behind Perci. His shield, intent on being kept out of the fight, stepped aside as soon as Schuylar took cover.

"You never learn, do you?" Perci sounded annoyed, but his face said otherwise. He'd come to truly like both pages, but he was not training to be a nursemaid. "Enough already!"

Eleni stopped trying to tackle Schuylar and went back to where they had been sparring. Schuylar had left his sword there. "No knight should abandon his weapon," she said, handing the blade hilt first. "What would our dear Lord Padraig say if he saw what you did?"

"He'd personally banish him from the city." The voice wasn't recognized by the younger pages, but Varick, Perci, and Herne smiled instantly.

"Ferenc of Nond, you sly fox!" Herne almost knocked over Devin in his eagerness to reach his friend's side. Devin, in turn, almost knocked over Eleni. The only thing that stopped Eleni from landing in a heap was a of strong arm around her waist.

"Hello," Ferenc laughed. He had managed to catch both pages, and was currently berating Herne. "What if you had injured one of them? Really, Herne, I thought I was leaving the little ones in good hands." He seemed to have forgotten about his two captives, engrossed as he was.

"Excuse me." Eleni had tried tapping his forearm, but she had to raise her voice to get his attention. It took him a moment to realize he was still holding the pages, and he quickly let them go. "Much better," Eleni mumbled to herself. "Myles of Pirate's Swoop," she introduced herself.

"Well, well, well. The Lioness' grandson, huh?" He seemed to be teasing, and Eleni wondered if it was a phase all boys went through, because she was getting tired of being teased. "Ferenc of Nond, at your service." The blonde gave a dramatic bow and winked at Eleni. Without rising, he asked, "And the other little one is who?"

"Devin of Disart, sir." Poor Devin barely got past that sentence with minimal stuttering. Shyness still got the best of him.

"Disart, eh? Isn't that in the far south, near the Desert?" Devin gave a wobbly nod. "My master's home is near those parts." His attempts at befriending Devin were a watse, the boy was too stunned to talk back. Shaking his head, he addressed the main group. "Who does this one belong to then?" Just as Warren stepped forward, a voiced yelled across the yard.

"Ferenc!" A tall and regal looking Bazhir was making his way towards the group. His dark skin was glistening in the afternoon sun, and it was obvious that he had been training hard. Despite his good looks, his face was marred by its crossed expression. He was definitely not happy.

"That would be my master," he whispered to the pages. "Sir Zahir, what might I do for you?" Ferenc's bow could have been meant for the king himself, but his master was still upset.

"Go back to your drills, squire." His order was brief, and he expected it to be obeyed immediately. The order given, he went back to his sparring partner.

"Sorry about that," Ferenc apologized. "He's a strict knight master, but he means well." Just before he left, he turned and whispered in Eleni's ear. "You're a great shot with a bow, lad. Fancy a contest sometime?" He didn't wait for an answer, he was already halfway across the yard.

Eleni felt a strange hammering in her chest, similar to the thrill she had felt during her duel. This Ferenc of Nond was prooving interesting, and she wondered how long he and his master would stay in Corus.

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**Yay for being understanding suckers. I foresee Alanna killing a couple of people, but Jon and George might get lucky. More of Eleni proving her skills with the sword. Anyone remember that blonde boy staring at Eleni during her detention? Ferenc! Kel's little nephew from Nond. Hope you guys enjoyed this one.**


	33. Encouraging the Hopeless

**Whoot for having more than 6,000 hits on this story! I honestly can't believe it. Thank you so much!**

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Eleni spent the remainder of her day trying to reclaim Lokejo. He never came back to her on his own, not after one of their fights. However, after hours of apologizing and promising that she wouldn't get caught again, Lokejo relented. He loved his little girl too much. Hugs followed the make up and all was right with Eleni's tiny world.

"Well, you couldn't have been all that lonely." Lokejo sat down next to Eleni on her bed. "I saw the boys come around when you came back from your little meeting. You weren't as lonely as you claim." Although he teased her, the part of him that saw Eleni as a daughter was worried. How long would it be before one of those boys snatched her heart?

"I wasn't going to go," she challenged. "I didn't want to, really, but Schuylar said something stupid again-"

"And you had to show him a lesson," Lokejo finished for her. "What have I told you about picking fights with that mage?" Lokejo hadn't forgotten how Schuylar had spelled him. "He's bigger than you lass, they all are. I don't want you hurt, lass." His tone had softened, truly worried for his small charge.

"As if Schuylar could ever hurt me. He may have improved, but I'm still quicker than him." Eleni's eyes glossed over for a minute. "And I really impressed one of the visiting squires!" The jolt she had previously felt returned to her stomach. "Ferenc of Nond said that my skills were impressive, and he's seen me practice my archery! I don't know when, but he said that we should have a contest at some point! Can you believe that a squire would be impressed by my skills?"

Her eagerness and joy was overflowing, catching Lokejo off guard. Sure, she'd admired the skills of her male friends, but something told him that the admiration she felt for this Ferenc was based on more than his skills with the sword. This was exactly the type of headache he had hoped to avoid.

"And you should have seen him! He said my swordsmanship was excellent, but he was amazing! For someone as young as hi-"

"Lad," his voice has higher and his tone firmer. It was his subtle way of saying that Eleni was getting the best of Myles. She was literally gushing about a boy, whether she realized it or not. Frankly, this side of her was entirely new and disturbing, and Lokejo needed time to figure out how to manage this new development.

"I think it's time you get to bed. You only have a few weeks until the examinations, and I'm sure you need tomorrow to practice." He got off her bed and readied it while Eleni changed into a nightshirt. When she was tucked in, Lokejo gave her a kiss on the forehead. Normally she would have protested the gesture, but they had just made up, and it was reassuring to know he still cared. He blew out the candle on her nightstand and left her to sleep. "Night, lad."

The morning dawned as bright and warm as Eleni's disposition. Lokejo was disappointed that a night of rest hadn't snuffed out her infatuation with the blonde squire. Again and again she regaled him with detailed accounts of his swordsmanship or about how strong his stance was when he fired an arrow.

She didn't realize that Lokejo was becoming irritated with her repeated accounts of his "impeccable skills". She also didn't realize that he followed her when she went to meet her friends in the practice yard. Lokejo wouldn't interfere, only watch from the shadows. After all, he had been hired to protect the small girl, and he would continue to do so until his dying breath.

When all of the pages had arrived, Ferenc was nowhere to be seen, and Eleni had the good grace to not ask. Who knew what her friends would think when a ten year-old boy kept asking after an older squire. The scandal would never end! Instead they went on to normal drills, the older pages directing the three younger ones.

Watching his little girl, his heart filled with pride. She really had improved, and it was visible. Eleni's decision to become a knight had not been a whim, she had truly meant it. Now, as she practiced her sword skills with her friends, he saw that familiar determination that he had witnessed in her parents and grandparents. Eleni would make an excellent knight one day.

By now, the pages had moved on to wrestling, and the larger boys had their advantage. There was no feasible way for Eleni to win any of this matches, but that wouldn't stop her from trying to win. She was faster than the boys, so at least she had that, but it wasn't enough. Barely a few minutes into her match with Simon, he had slammed her into the ground, pinning her small form beneath his.

It was all in the name of good sportsmanship, and Simon offered her a hand up. "You lasted longer this time," he joked. Eleni almost disagreed, when an audible snap was heard. Schuylar had fallen and broken his nose. "At least you're doing better than Schuylar," Simon added.

Practice was momentarily paused, and Eleni was glad for it. Wrestling just wasn't something she was good at, and she had admitted it long ago. She wished she could offer a better challenge, but her slight build wasn't made for something as physical as wrestling. But Simon was right, she was better than poor Schuylar.

Schuylar, though his skills had improved immensely during the months, was still pitiful. Everyone wondered whether he would pass the examination, but nobody said anything aloud. It would be devastating if he was failed. A voice jarred Eleni out her musings.

"What are you all doing just sitting around?" Ferenc of Nond had finally joined their little party, but by the glances he kept shooting over his shoulder, it was obvious he had snuck away from his master's side. "Well?" he asked Eleni. She hadn't even noticed that he was standing beside her and jumped. "Sorry, kitten." His nickname for her was worse than Alex's, but for some reason it didn't bother her. "So what happened here, kitten?"

"Schuylar broke his nose while wrestling," she explained in one breath. All of the sudden, she felt like she couldn't get enough air. Deciding it had to be the afternoon heat that was making her dizzy she went to sit down next to her year-mate. Eleni never noticed Ferenc's crestfallen look.

"I'm pathetic," Shuylar said without raising his head. "I'm a complete embarassment. I'll never be anything more than a hopeless failure who no one can be proud of, and I'll nev-"

Eleni punched him, hard. While he tried to regain his breath, she spoke softly. "You're not pathetic, Schuylar. Get that idea out of your head, right now." He finally sat up again, but didn't look at Eleni. "Schuylar," she whispered. "No matter what anyone has ever said, I know that you'll be a shining example of knighthood. I'd bet my life on that."

Schuylar couldn't help but smile at Myles' resolve. "You really think so?"

"I know so. Now, come on, I need someone to practice with." Eleni got to her feet and offered her friend a hand. They started this together, and they would end it together. There was no other possible alternative for Eleni.

The days rolled on, and turned into weeks. Without waiting for the newest pages to be fully ready, the day of the examinations had arrived. Eleni prayed that everything would work out, for her and all of her friends.

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**I know a bunch of the readers love Alex, but what fun would it be if there wasn't some competition? You know, besides being the grandson of the Lioness' old rival and the traitor who helped Roger... Ferenc is like a cuddly fox to me, and I needed to keep him around for one more chapter. Forgive me?**

**I wonder if Schuylar will pass the exams... I do love him, but he's not knight material. I know, I created him.**


	34. Confronting the Panel

**Cyber-cookies for my "Super Six": R0KI, xMxRosex, HPLUVR71495, spazzysassyangel, Tishica, and xDarklightx! Thank you so much!**

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The last Sunday of May was a very bleak day in comparison to the weeks before it. Where there had been endless sunshine, there was now drizzling rain and cloudy skies. Thunder could almost be heard in the distance. Lightning periodically flashed across the sky, illuminating the the city with an ethereal light.

Eleni sat in her bed, long after she had woken up, watching the day unfold outside her window. A part of her craved the excitement of the day, but a larger part of her subconscience was more afraid of the exams than anything else in the world. She knew it was silly to fear something she had no knowledge of, it was simply impractical, but the fear remained.

The examinations, the Little Exams, were initiated by King Roald after Alanna of Trebond had managed to pass herself off as a boy for eight years of knight training. They came to be even more important after Lord Wyldon failed to properly single out two men who the Chamber of the Ordeal identified as less than fit for knighthood.

One, Joren of Stone Mountain, had been killed by the Chamber, and the other, Vinson of Genlith, had been forced to confessed to rape. Both had already proved themselves wretches of the worst degree, but had been allowed to enter the Chamber regardless. These exams were meant to ensure that the pages were adequate candidates for knighthood, to weed out the weak and vile. The squires who went in to the Chamber had to be of the highest caliber. The exams were necessary.

"Ready to face the day, yet?" Eleni hadn't even noticed Lokejo enter her room. "Come on," he said. Lokejo closed the shutters and tried to banish the melancholy feeling from the room. He placed Eleni's second-best tunic and breeches on her clothes press and turned to look at her. She was still in bed. "I'm sure your gran didn't mope about in bed all day."

"Grandmother never had to own up to the fact that she was lying to the whole court." Her voice was soft, softer than Lokejo had ever heard it. Her lies were coming to back to haunt her. While he had always known that she would have to admit her deceit one day, today was not that day. Kneeling at her bedside, he took her face in his hands. "Lass, you are lying. I'm not going to say that you're not, because you are. But today is not about you lying, or what you and your gran have in common. Today is about proving that you, sweet chick, are as good as any of those boys."

"But what if-"

"No!" Lokejo wanted to shake her thoroughly, to make his cheerful Eleni return. "None of it matters. Myles is going out there today, and he's going to prove that the Lioness has a grandchild she can be proud of. Now get dressed." He left no room for argument, pulling her out of bed. Before closing her door, he gave final instructions. "Make sure you're ready by breakfast, I won't have you looking sloppy of fainting in front of the committee."

It took her a few minutes, but Eleni finally summoned the will to get out of bed. As she went through every part of her morning routine, it was as if pieces of her confidence were restored to her. By the time she was brushing her hair, Eleni felt that she could look every member of the committee in the eye. She could only hope that she'd stay this confident throughout the day.

Her composure was chipped away at before her morning meal.

On her way to the dining hall, Eleni passed by Pierina, Alex, and Artan. She heard Pier repeating facts and tips to Artan, trying to prepare him for the day ahead. Alex was present in body only, his mind somewhere else. When Pier asked him something, Alex would nod or give an answer, but he was obviously somewhere else today.

As Eleni walked by and put her breakfast on a tray, she felt his eyes shadow her movements. Apparently, whatever was keeping his mind occupied couldn't control his golden eyes. Alex pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against and sat down next to Eleni. He didn't say a word, and that made Eleni nervous.

"What do you want?" she asked around a bite of pasty. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, it made her feel funny.

"Nothing." The funny feeling in her stomach intensified and Eleni tried to calm her nerves. Throwing up was not a good way to start her day.

"Then go away," she hissed. When she saw that he wasn't going to leave, Eleni tried to resume her meal. Her insides continued to squirm, though. "Alex, would you ple-"

"Alex!" Pier had noticed that one of her pets had strayed from her side. Seeing Alex next to Eleni didn't improve her mood, and she stormed up to Eleni. "Stay away from what is mine, boy." Alex took her appearance as his cue to leave, slipping away while she spoke to Eleni. "Try not to get sent back to your islands, half-breed. I'm sure grandma would be devasta-" Her words died on her lips.

"Last minute advice for Myles?" Perci, Simon, and Devin had come to the rescue. "How kind of you to offer assistance, milady!" He emphasized her gender, grinning when he saw her face turn an ugly puce color. "Run along now," he dismissed. Without a care in the world, he turned his back on Pierina of Stone Mountain.

She had no choice but to leave, because the four pages had engaged in a new conversation. Though fuming, Pierina knew she had been beaten and retreated. Eleni was grateful for the well-timed arrival, and her confidence made slow recovery.

The rest of her friends arrived shortly before Lord Padraig. After a less than inspiring speech, breakfast began in earnest. The meal was mostly quiet, and nobody said much. They were all too busy thinking of their examinations. When Lord Padraig stood from his seat, it was as if a signal had gone off in the hall. The moment they had dreaded was upon them.

With Schuylar and Devin at her side, Eleni made her way to one of the indoor practice yards. There they would be evaluated by year, starting with the year's newest pages. That meant that she and her two friends were up first. Contrary to the days when Lord Wyldon of Cavall had been the royal training master, the exams were more than an oral examination.

The pages were still questioned by a panel of older knights, but now they had to physically prove themselves capable. Their abilities would then be tried by Lord Padraig and put on display for the committee to judge. Just as the years before, though, the examinations were open to the inhabitants of the palace and everyone was welcomed to watch. There weren't that many people present this morning, probably because the fourth-year pages wouldn't be examined until much later. This was, after all, a chance for active knights to see the candidates they could choose squires from.

The idea of people watching her bothered Eleni. She had a notion that Padraig was going to go out of his way to make his least favorite pages look their worst. She just happened to be on that rather long list of individuals.

With his poor luck, Schuylar was the first one called forward. He too was on Padraig's short list, and was probably a tad bit more hated. His skills were almost deplorable, but he had improved throughout the year, that much was certain. Ever the scholar, Schuylar passed the oral examination with flying colors, amazing the knights present with his vast wealth of knowledge.

What followed was not impressive. Knowing that Schuylar was almost useless with a sword, Lord Padraig chose that weapon to be the practical portion of his examination. While he managed to hold out for all of ten minutes, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Schuylar was an amateur with the blade. Eleni fervently prayed that his overwhelmingly incredible grasp of scholarly arts would carry him through.

The gods proved kind that morning; Schuylar was judged fit to continue his training as a page.

With Devin, the situation was reversed. He had yet to get over his bashful nature around strangers and barely spoke above a mumbled whisper. Eleni was certain that the knowledge to answer the questions were in his head, it was his stupid tongue that stopped him from speaking properly!

Devin earned the chance to redeem himself with Lord Padraig. The boy hadn't done anything to warrant the training master's malice. The man had always been proud of Devin's natural proficiency with the sword, and gave him a moment to shine. When his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword, Devin found the confidence that he had lacked during his questioning. This was his arena and he disappointed few.

While Devin tried to make amends for his shy nature, the rest of their friends arrived. Warren, seeing how worn out Schuylar was, knew that he had already been examined.

"How'd it go?" he whispered, his eyes never leaving Devin.

"I passed." Schuylar's reply was quiet, almost as if he didn't believe the results himself. "Looks like my penchant for books was more useful than you thought it was." Now that his turn had passed, Schuylar was feeling happier than he had in a long time.

Applause sounded out throughout the room; Devin had managed to disarm Lord Padraig. Now it was time for Myles of Pirate's Swoop to prove himself. Eleni knew that more than one of the witnesses recognized her for who she was supposed to be. They all wanted to see what the Lioness' grandson could do, if he was as worthy as her. Briefly wondering if her uncle Alan had felt as nervous, she stepped before the panel.

Gods help her.

The men five looking her over were all much older than the young knights she had seen visiting the palace grounds, probably close to her grandmother's age or older. All of them, except one, that is. Sir Zahir ibn Alhaz, Ferenc's knight master, was one of the men who would judge her worth as a future knight.

"What does it mean to be a knight of Tortall?" An ancient looking man had already begun questioning Eleni. The reply came without a thought.

"To be a knight means that you may not ignore a cry for help. It means that rich and poor, young and old, male and female may look to you for rescue, and you cannot deny them. You are bound to uphold the law. You may not look away from wrongdoing. You may not help anyone to break the law of the land, and you must prevent the breaking of the law at all times, in all cases." Eleni paused, forcing out the last part of the Code of Chivalry. "You are bound to your honor and your word."

Eleni felt sick again. She had spoken of honor and truth, all while lying to the men before her. Doubts came to the forefront of her mind, raging against the chains Lokejo had bound them with. Lokejo. A quick glance at the spectators showed Eleni that her dear friend was watching, silently supporting her. Someone thought she was worthy of a shield, even with her lies.

"Well spoken," said the man sitting at the far left of the table. Eleni vaguely remembered him as a frequent dinner guest of Lord Padraig's. Eleni cringed, knowing that the man was a strict conservative. "Now, on with the rest of the examination." The sneer on his old face spoke volumes, this was not going to be easy for her.

After rounds of obscure questions, some of which Eleni doubt even Schuylar would have been able to answer, the panel was satisfied with her. Now she only had to prove herself capable with a weapon. Eleni prayed that Padraig would choose the sword for her too, but knew that he wouldn't, that would make things too easy.

However, Lord Padraig approached her with his sword in hand, ready for a duel. He still doubted her abilities Hope flared within her, and her hands went to the hilt of her own blade. A wheezing voice interrupted her.

"I believe we have seen enough of the sword with this group of pages." The ancient man who had asked her about the meaning of knighthood disregarded Padraig's glare. Apparently, this old knight did as he pleased. "I would like to see how the boy handles a bow." Eleni fought to hide the blinding smile on her lips. When Padraig remained standing with his sword, the knight dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Whenever you are ready, lad."

Eleni briskly walked over to the sidelines where Lokejo handed her a bow. "Good luck, lad." He knew she didn't need it, but if it gave her a bit more confidence, it was worth it.

Facing the target that was ten yards away, Eleni tried to clear her mind. Nothing matter besides proving that she was a good shot with the bow. A dozen center shots were all that separated her from her second year of page training. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a dark haired page smiling encouragingly: Alex of Tirragen.

Her first arrow hit dead center. Not giving in to the joy that was bubbling beneath the surface, she quickly let loose the other eleven recquired arrows. All of them hit the center ring. And just like that, Myles of Pirate's Swoop was deemed capable. An oral exam and twelve arrows, that was all it took.

"Well done," it was the second time the old knight had complimented her work, and Eleni was forced to wonder just who he could be. "Myles of Pirate's Swoop will continue his training." A light round of applause followed his announcement and Eleni swore she heard a few whistles come where her friends stood.

Lord Padraig grudgingly announced that there would be a bell-long break in the examinations. As the panel of knights walked out of the practice yard, Eleni saw the old knight wink at her. She found herself smiling in return. Soon, however her attention was stolen by an arm around her shoulders, Schuylar's arm.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about," he said, the perfect picture of self-assurance. Eleni swiftly elbowed him in the ribs. His arm was retracted just as quickly.

"Just because you saved your skin this year, doesn't give you leave to touch me." Though she tried to act haughty, her smile said that she was just as relieved as he was. "Come on, Schuylar, the others are waiting for us."

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**Yay, a long chappie!**

**Aww. Some of you told me you missed Alex, and I have to admit that I did too. I love how you were concerned about Schuylar! I never thought he would become that popular, but what do I know? Because this chapter became longer of its own accord, I'll stop it right here and the rest of the exams will be in the next chapter.**

**A/N: Eleni's answer is a direct quote from itHotG.**


	35. Failing the Exams

**This one's for our newest reader, TheWackedOne. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/added the story.**

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The eight friends huddled together at the far right wall of the indoor practice yard. Eleni, Schuylar, and Devin were resting against the cool stone wall, tired out from their examinations. Simon and Warren were trying to loosen up before their turns came up in a few minutes.

"I can't believe you're tired already!" Herne had been ruffling the younger pages' hair for the last hour. He found it adorable that his young friends had been exhausted by the exams. "What good will you be on a battlefield?" He was only joking, but Perci hit him for it regardless.

"Let them be," he said. Offering a kind smile, Perci congratulated the weary children. "I couldn't be prouder of you boys." The comment was so unexpected that it silenced the group.

They might never have known it, but Perci was going to miss them. He knew his time with his young friends was running out. Soon he'd be forced to leave them, to be of service to an older and experienced knight. It was his duty, and he had always known what the future held for him. Knowing the things that are to come never made goodbyes any easier.

"We will now evaluate the second year pages." Lord Padraig's gruff voice rang out in the stone room. Already four of the five knights on the panel were taking their seats. The only one missing was Sir Zahir.

"Where did Sir Zahir go?" The question wasn't what Eleni really wanted to ask, but it would have been strange for her to ask about Ferenc specifically.

Herne looked over his shoulder, answering as his eyes swept the room. "I suppose he and Ferenc have left already." He explained when he saw the strange looks the others were giving him. "Sir Zahir was only standing in for another knight. Ferenc said that he was asked to wait until the other knight arrived." A tall, statuesque woman with short, light brown hair sat in the chair that Sir Zahir had previously occupied. "And I guess she arrived."

"Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan." All three first-years had breathed out her name like a prayer. Herne couldn't hide his toothy grin.

"Yup, that's her. Ferenc made me promise not to tell, mostly because _he_wasn't supposed to know either. Personally, I find our lady knight to be-"

"Simon of Kennan!"

Simon had been chosen as the first second-year to be examined. With some last minute good wishes, he went to face the panel. He stood proud, his shoulders erect, and Eleni noticed that he had actually made an effort to tame his curly auburn hair. She could only hope that Padraig and the judges would go easy on him.

As the evaluation proceeded, Eleni found herself guilty of staring at the lady knight. Alianne had told her daughter about a strong willed young woman who had defied the crown, much like Alanna had done in her youth. Now that young woman sat mere feet from her, evaluating her friend. Lady Knight Keladry, the Protector of the Small!

The large boy modestly answered the questions posed, just as shy as the boy he had chosen to sponsor. They were are pleased to see that Simon could give his answers with more decorum than Devin. Eleni felt the small boy bury his face in her shoulder, shame coloring his face. He was remembering his own stupid responses.

When Lord Padraig approached Simon with two staves, relief swept through the onlooking friends. Simon knew how to handle a staff, there would be few obstacles for him. Assured that Simon would be fine, Eleni's eyes drifted back to the lady knight. She had a faraway look on her face, as if she was watching but not really seeing what was before her. Before Eleni could unravel what the unknown emotion was, applause forced her attention back to Simon. Lord Padraig was already bowing to Simon, their bout had ended.

Running back to his friends, Simon made no effort to hide how happy he felt. Everyone got nervous before their exams, and everyone felt elated after they passed. He was no exception to the rule.

"Darius of Ophir!"

The exams continued on, the judging much less biased. The old man that had been so kind to Eleni proved himself equally kind to the other pages. More than once, she saw him lean over to whisper to Lady Knight Keladry, they shared smiles as a they watched the pages. Darius passed his examination with a round of applause.

Now, it was Alex's turn.

Eleni didn't miss how crowded the room had become, or how loud the so-called whispers were. The spectators had it in for Alex, but Eleni didn't know why. She knew that there was some bad blood between his family and the crown, but none of it was his fault. Alex, for his part, ignored the voices and faced the panel.

"Alexander of Tirragen." Lord Padraig's friend was looking at Alex like he was a flea, and he wasn't the only one. The murmurs hadn't died down, and Lord Padraig wasn't making any effort to silence the crowds. The elderly man who had complimented Eleni slammed his fist on the table.

"If you cannot keep quiet, I will order guards to remove you all!" He defended Alex when no one else considered him worth it, and because of it Eleni found him that much more respectable. Not everyone shared her sentiments, Lord Padraig especially.

"My lord Wyldon," he said, his voice honey sweet. "It would be impossible for us to remove these kind people. They are here to watch the pages prove themselves."

"Then they may watch in silence," he replied without missing a beat. For all his evident years, the man was no fool, he was stronger and wiser than the man who cowered before him. "Lord Padraig, the examination will continue in silence, or I will have them removed."

Keladry put her hand on Lord Wyldon's arm and leaned to ask him something. Though the room was as quiet as a wake, it was impossible to hear what was said. What was heard was Lord Padraig's command to continue. Alex never flinched throughout any part of the exchange, he was used to the whispers.

As he was questioned, it quickly became obvious that the men panel were out to get him. Their questions were innocently worded, but their tone was scathing. Eleni was relieved when they were finished and Lord Padraig came forward with a sword. He had never admitted Alex's value as a brilliant swordsman, but Lord Padraig was going to suffer for it now.

About half-way through the short duel, Alex used a maneuver that was oddly familiar to Perci. As he watched Alex take a step back and lunge his sword beneath Padraig's, Perci wondered where he had seen it. The memory of the incident came to him before the duel had ended. Months ago, he had seen Myles used that same technique on Devin. The surprise was unmistakable, but not one saw it.

Alex had just disarmed Lord Padraig and had his sword point at his throat. The audience did not applaud Alex, but Eleni did. Her applause echoed in the stone room, alone in its praise. Eventually Lady Knight Kel clapped her hands in approval as well, but the damage had been done. More than one set of eyes was focused on Myles of Pirate's Swoop.

Lord Wyldon announced that Alex was free to go, that he had satisfied the examination.

Warren's examination was quiet and speedy. Decent marks on all accounts. There was little that could impress the crowd after Alex's display. Eager to finish with the examinations, Lord Padraig offered no recess between the evaluations of the second and third year pages; they would follow one another.

Page after page, they were all passed. Ghalib of Lannman, Varick of Storm Pass, and Jarek of Amorite were rapidly found worthy of continuing their training. Pierina of Stone Mountain had a slightly harder time proving that she should continue, but Lady Knight Keladry took pains to make her look good. The only page who remained was Artan of Bjorn, Pier's giant bulldog.

It was a disaster.

The bumbling answer he tried to recite were horrible at best, and the judges were disgusted with his inadequacies. It was almost as if the boy had spent the lat three years doing anything but learning the ways of knighthood. The leers he kept sending Lady Knight Keladry did not help matters.

When it was announced that had failed the examinations, there was a chill that grasped the room. Artan would repeat his thrid year of page training. If he didn't approve, he could go back to his home fief. Stunned, he made his way back to Pier's side. She didn't so much as look at him, but Alex tried to comfort his friend.

Lord Padraig declare a second break, and the rumor began to circulate at once. A page had failed his exams! It would be weeks before the gossips would quiet down.

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**Boo hoo... Eh, at least he's alive.**

**Our Protector of the Small has finally appeared! There's a very special reason our lady knight is in Corus, and why she was delayed. Whoot for that, and on to the next chapter!**


	36. Leaving the Palace

**For R0KI, who almost made me crash a car by making me laugh. Please, enjoy. Yay for reaching 7,000 hits!**

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"I still say it's odd that you got a knight master so quickly."

"Quiet, Schuylar! Herne might just find time for a little wrestling match, if you don't stop talking."

As Eleni and Schuylar bickered, the young man in question continued to pack his belongings. The same argument had gone on for the last two days, and he had heard it enough times. It was hard to believe that they were Tortall's future knights. Gods, preserve them all.

"But it's strange," Schuylar insisted. "It's almost as if Lord Imrah had planned to make Herne his squire all along!"

Decidely fed up with the spindly page, Herne smartly rapped him on the head. Schuylar's angry pout only earned him a second blow. For laughing, Eleni secured a hit of her own. It really didn't help her building headache.

"Why don't you two go see Perci. I'm sure he needs help getting packed." When they didn't leave his room, Herne physically removed them. "I'll be right along, don't worry. Tell Perci that I'm sending you two as a parting gift." A sadistic chuckle was heard from behind the closed door.

The dispute didn't end by the time they reached Perci's soon to be empty room. The room already looked very plain and lacked the comforts of a lived-in room. Then again, Perci hadn't wasted half of his morning trying to evict two bickering pages.

Sir Merric of Hollyrose had offered to take on Perci as his squire, but he was only one knight among many. However, Perci had chosen the relatively young Sir Merric, greatly surprising his friends. It wasn't a secret that Sir Merric spent over half of the year on the Scanran border or that he would be heading back to the border that very summer.

Perci would be trapped up north for months, far from Corus. They would be heading up to the township of New Hope, a former refugee camp, and would stay there for at least two years before returning.

"Why did your father take on Herne?" Schuylar had yet to drop the subject. He didn't take the agitated sighs for the warnings that they were. "Myles refuses to discuss it with me, but I think something's going on. How about it, Perci, do you want to tell us why Herne was picked out so quickly?"

When he received silence as a response, he just continued on. Eleni, having suffered his conspiracy theories more than anyone else in the palace, plopped down on Perci's bed. Her head hurt too much to deal with Schuylar. Perci mocked Schuylar behind his back, making Eleni chuckle. Schuylar never noticed, lost as he was.

"No other knights even approached him! Something was definitely arranged," he concluded.

"If I tell you," Perci began. Schuylar opened his mouth to speak. "Speak, and I will never tell you anything at all." His mouth snapped shut. "If I tell you, Schuylar, you have to stay quiet. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" Eleni winced at his loud exclamation. Her head just kept aching.

"Herne was chosen to be Father's squire a very long time ago. Probably around the same time he and Rhonwen were betrothed. He has his squire years to prove himself competent in front of my father." Perci had a funny smile on his face. "I really do hope he doesn't make a fool of himself. Father tends to be very strict." His smile only grew.

"Oh," breathed out Schuylar. He contemplated the new information quietly. Unfortunately, the peace lasted all of five seconds. "Who's Rhonwen?"

"Like he said, my betrothed." The room's occupants hadn't noticed Herne leaning against the door frame. "Was it necessary to tell them?" he asked Perci.

"You sent them to me," he replied. "And that one was about to find himself tied up and on a pony meant for Scanra."

Schuylar audibly gulped and blanched. Something told him that Perci was capable of carrying out the threat. Fear still wasn't able to keep him from pestering the new squires. "You still haven't told me who Rhonwen is," he whined.

"My sister," Perci's voice was muffled. He was currently under his bed, trying to reach a piece of parchment that had fallen under it. When he final emerged, he was covered in a thin coat of dust.

"Sister? I thought your sister's name was Claire!"

Eleni, finally annoyed of Schuylar's complaints threw her boot at him. Never having been the sharpest sword in the armory, Schuylar's reflexes were too slow to dodge it. Herne and Perci only laughed at his expense.

"Ever think that he might have more than one sister, fool?" Eleni, despite the intense throbbing in her head, managed a smile. Schuylar was impossible. "And stop yelling already."

She flipped over on the bed and buried her face in the coverlet, groaning. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Eleni noticed that the blanket smelled like sandalwood. It made her feel a little better. At least until Schuylar threw himself on the bed beside her.

"What's wrong?" He was concerned, but going about it the wrong way. "Hey, come on." Poking her repeatedly, Schuylar didn't know that he was goaded an agitated lioness. "Hey, My-" There was a solid knock on the opened door.

Grateful to see what had finally gotten Schuylar to stop, Eleni cracked an eye open. What she saw made her sit up straighter than a rod. Why did she of all people have to see her in that position?

Clad in dark brown breeches, a blue tunic, and a white shirt, the tall woman was a pretty impressive sight. Standing tall at just shy of six feet, her hazel-green eyes observed the four shocked pages. None of them had expected the Protector of the Small to show up. Even less expected was that she would be holding Myles' boot in her hand.

"Sir Merric asked me to get Percival." Holding up the boot, she asked, "This belong to anyone here?"

Eleni shyly got off the bed. "That would be mine, Lady Knight Keladry." Her face was as red as her hair, and she wished that the ground would open and swallow her whole. Kel's eyes crinkled at Eleni's expression.

"Here you go, lad." Kel watched as Eleni walked back to the bed and put her boot back on. "You're the Lioness' grandson aren't you? Myles, was it?" Eleni gave a feeble nod. "Mind if we have a word after I finish up with Percival?" Eleni gave a little shake of her head this time. "Excellent. Ready, Percival?"

Perci had kept on packing his saddle bags while Kel had spoken to Eleni. The last thing his put away was the piece of parchment he had retrieved from under his bed. He and Herne each slung a bag under their arms, all that Perci would take with him when he went north. The remainder of his belongings would be sent to his new room adjoined to Sir Merric's suite.

"I'm ready to go, Lady Knight. Schuylar, you're coming with us." When Schuylar let out a whine, Perci repeated the order. "There's no telling what you'll do to my room if we leave you here alone. Come on."

The boys followed Kel out of the room, but Perci held back to wait for Eleni. She still hadn't gotten off of his bed. Without looking at him, she answered his unspoken question.

"I made an idiot out of myself," she said dejectedly. "It's almost as bad as if Grandmother had caught me."

Perci dropped his bags by the door and sat on his bed. He'd miss the feel of the mattress. "It's not that bad." Eleni groaned. "Really. I happen to know that Lady Knight Keladry has an exceptional sense of humor. She probably thought it was funny." He knew for a fact that she thought it was funny, that she probably understood why a boot had been thrown across the room. "Now get up, they'll be wondering where we are."

The stables were buzzing with activity. Apart from Herne, Schuylar, and Kel, there were two knights and a lady in a Yamani robe. For some reason, there was a gaggle of children flitting around one of the knights, a tall, dark-haired man. Eleni knew those children, and the lady. They were the ones who had kept her in a cage overnight.

As she and Perci drew closer, Eleni saw that one of the children was actually Devin. That only made things stranger.

Devin broke away from the children when he saw Perci enter the stables. "Thought I'd missed you, but then I saw Sir Merric. What took you so long?"

"Myles was having a moment," he said, enjoying how red Eleni turned. Trying hard not to bump into the children running underfoot, Perci walked over to where a very handsome red-headed man stood by a stall. "Sir Merric," Perci inclined his head in respect.

Merric chortled and patted Perci on the back. "And just how many times will I have to tell you to call me Merric? Titles won't be necessary."

"Sorry, Sir Merric." Perci laughed, already heading for his mare, Seafoam. "You'll have to remind me a few more times."

"Insolence from my own squire," Merric said to the dark-haired man. "Neal, what did I do to deserve this?"

Neal finally looked over at the new arrivals. "You chose him, Merric. It's your job to keep an eye on him, but if he's capable of making things interesting, I like him." He held out his hand to Perci, "Nealan of Queenscove, Percival. A pleasure to meet you." He gave a player's bow, eliciting giggles from the smallest child.

Eleni flinched at the sound. Yasumaru. _Well,_she thought irritably. _Now I know who he belongs to the next time he tries to cage me._"Devin how do you know Sir Nealan?" She didn't notice the little boy walking over to her.

"Huh?" He _had_noticed the toddler. "Come here, Yasu." Lifting the little boy, he spun him around. More giggles came from the little boy, forcing Eleni to calm her nerves. "Uncle Neal is my mother's brother," he answered casually, bouncing Yasu in his arms. "This little one is Yasumaru. Yasu, say hello to Myles."

"Ohayo gozaimasu," he chirped happily. Eleni was more than a little perplexed at what Yasumaru had said.

"What did he say?" she asked Devin. "I'm pretty sure that wasn't Common."

"I apologize for my son, young page," Lady Yuki was someone that Eleni would never be able to forget, she was too beautiful. "He has not been mindful of his manners of late."

"But Auntie Yuki," Devin swung his baby cousin once more. "He did say 'hello'. I never said it had to be in Common."

The lady withdrew a fan from her sash and tapped her nephew on the head. "Well, then," she said. "I apologize for my nephew, who also lacks proper manners." Bowing from the waist, she introduced herself, "I am Lady Yuki of Queenscove. Who might you be?"

Eleni didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or hide, but she knew that she had to say something. "Myles of Pirate's Swoop, milady."

"Pirate's Swoop, eh?" Neal had joined their little group. "Beautiful place," he commented lightly. "Tell me, how is the old Lioness these days? Still terrorizing poor squires?" He smile when he saw how wide Eleni's eyes had become. "I'm joking, of course. Your grandmother was a saint, the kindest woman I have ever had the honor to meet. She reminded me of my own sweet mothe-"

His monolouge was interupted by slap to the head from Kel. Eleni vaguely wondered how many members of his family had sustained permanent damage from being hit like that.

"Leave the boy alone," she warned. "Or I'll tell the Lioness every word that you just said." Neal stuck his tongue out at Kel, reminding Eleni of someone just like him. "Go back to your children, Neal. Myles, do you think we can have that talk now?"

Without waiting for Neal to reply, Kel had herded Eleni to a stall near the back of the building. In the stall was a a brown mare with feathery white socks and a white star on her forehead. Kel set to checking her mount's tack, almost as if she was trying to avoid looking at Eleni. It went without saying that Eleni felt uncomfortable.

"Um, is there something you needed, ma'am?" Eleni saw Kel's shoulder twitch slightly at the word 'ma'am'.

"Can I ask you something?" Kel still didn't look back at Eleni.

"Anything, lady knight." No twitching this time.

"How were you initially received? When you arrived for page training I mean?"

Eleni opened her mouth, but closed it. How had she been received? She had been annoyed to no end by questions about her grandmother, threatened by bullies, made friends, lost friends, changed sponsors; the list went on. In truth, she had been receive in a myriad of ways, but she had a feeling that Kel didn't want to hear the gritty details.

"At first, it was awkward," she confessed. Seeing Kel stiffen, she quickly continued, "But I made friends. There were others who were willing to be my friend." There was a pregnant pause in the stall. "If I may ask, lady knight, why-"

"Did I ask?" Kel finished for her. Finally turning, Kel wrapped a hand around the horse's reins and led Eleni back to front of the stables. Two newcomers had arrived, a man and a boy. The boy had big, hazel-green eyes. "Because I worry about leaving my Kyle here, when his mother is a female knight. I worry about the consequences. But you said that it was all right?"

"Yes, lady knight." Eleni was almost afraid to answer, she had an idea of where the conversation was going.

"Could you look after him for me?" The request was simple, but that the Protector of the Small had asked a favor of a page was astounding. "Please?"

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**Ooooh. I have to apologize to everyone, I made a boo boo. In the last chapter, I said that Kel belonged to Mindelan. My bad. She and Dom married a while back, so technically, she should be called Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle. Oops. Anyway, now we know why Kel was in town. And we got a tiny glimpse at what Herne and Perci's relationship is based on, a future marriage!**

**What did we think? Dying to hear from my loving readers.**


	37. Receiving the Gifts

**I was just wowed by the reviews and hits this story is getting. As always, it's for the dedicated readers that I write this.**

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The beginning of summer found Eleni packing her own saddlebags. Lord Padraig had chosen Port Legann as the location for the summer excursion. If nothing else, it meant that they would be traveling south to Legann with Herne and Lord Imrah.

Eleni smiled at the memory of the announcement, not even Herne had known. Now, as she put away enough clothes and supplies for three weeks, she finally realized that she had passed her first year of page training. The smile disappeared when she heard knocking on her door. Eleni had been trying to forget about her second shadow.

When Lady Knight Keladry had asked Eleni to look after her son, she had been honored. That the famous knight was essentially asking her - well, him- to look after her only son was unbelievable! After a week with the boy, however, she found herself asking the gods what she could have possibly done to deserve such a punishment.

With his hazel-green eyes and easy smile, Kyle of Masbolle was an incredibly adorable boy. He had hugged his parents and waved them farewell along with his aunt. The problems arose _after_ his mother and father had departed. Within an hour of the departure, he had begun to cling to Eleni like a lost duckling. Thinking that he would quickly tire of doing so, Eleni said nothing and let him do it.

A week later, the boy had yet to leave her alone for longer than an hour, and was all but attached to her hip. It was only a matter of time before she killed the boy. The knocking persisted. Biting back a deeply acrid curse, she welcomed the boy into her room.

_And that's another thing,_ she reminded herself. _He's too tall for his age._

Despite being only ten years old, Kyle was already taller than some of the pages currently living in the palace. Eleni was diminutive in stature to begin with, and she didn't need a younger page to further remind her.

"Are you packing already?" he asked. He looked around the room, panicking. "Should I go pack too? Do you think I'll have enough time? What should I-"

Eleni put up her hand, effectively silencing Kyle. In the recesses of her mind, she wished that Schuylar was that easy to control. Truthfully, she had forgotten that he would be traveling to Legann with the older pages. Lord Padraig had been strangely accommodating when the subject had been broached by Sir Morven. Eleni found it odd that Lord Padraig would want to take the boy along, there were others who could look after him.

The boy was nothing like his mother. Where his mother was one of the most collected people Eleni had ever met, Kyle, at his best, was insecure. There was no telling how much trouble he would find himself in without a proper chaperon. By chaperon, Eleni meant an adult, not a girl who was a single year older than him.

_Why did I ever agree to his mother's request?_

"I'm sure you still have time to pack," she said, sounding much more calm than she actually felt. "You don't need to bring much, enough clothing and whatever other supplies you think you might need." Eleni went back to her bags, trying to see if she had overlooked anything vital.

"What supplies do you think I should bring? What kind of clothes should I take? What's the weather like in Legann?" His questions were endless, but Eleni's patience wasn't. Just as she was about to verbally bite his head off, Lokejo entered the room carrying a package.

Scared at once, Kyle shied away from him, inching closer to Eleni's side. Theirs had not been the best of introductions, Kyle being scared of the large, dark skinned man as soon as he saw him. Again, Eleni prayed for patience.

"Needed something, Lokejo?" She desperately wanted an excuse to get away from her new shadow.

"Yes, actually." He turned to Kyle and said, "Be a good lad and go pack your bags. Wouldn't want to be left behind tomorrow morning."

Kyle's eyes widen in horror, and he ran out of the room. Lokejo couldn't help but laugh at the boy. Eleni, though she found Kyle to be exasperating, didn't find it funny.

"You know, that wasn't very nice" she said, kicking his shin. "His mother expects me to look after him."

"I'm sure you were going to take care of him." Lokejo patted Eleni on the head and handed her the package he was holding. "Here, chick." He lounged on her bed, watching her look the package over. "I'm pretty sure you have to take off the wrapping if you want to find out what's inside."

"I hate you," she muttered under her breath.

She moved to sit beside him on the bed. After staring at the package for a few moments, Lokejo sat up and took it from her. The plain, black paper it was wrapped was removed, revealing a large box. Lokejo gently placed the box on Eleni's lap.

"Want me to open it for you, as well?" Eleni elbowed him. "Fine," he said through a minor coughing fit. For someone so small, she knew how to hurt people.

"Who's it from?" He didn't respond. "If it's something dangerous, I'll be very upset, Lokejo."

The box was not dangerous, and neither were its contents. Hidden under slips of black silk, sat a delicate figurine, a crow in the middle of flight. Eleni's slim fingers passed over the figure, memorizing the way the amethyst was cut. It was a very beautiful piece. Right next to it was a second crow, this one made of onyx.

"Who sent this?" her voice was a hoarse whisper, overcome by emotion.

"There's a letter at the bottom of the box, chick." He hadn't bothered to look at the figurine, he already knew who it from and what it was.

Indeed there was an envelope at the bottom, stationary and script that Eleni easily recognized.

"Is this from-"

"Just read it already," he insisted. Honestly, for a bird, she sure had a thick skull.

The words so carefully written on the heavily starched parchment were more than Eleni could bare.

_My dearest chick,_

_Words cannot express how proud of you we are. It fills my heart with joy to know that you are doing what your heart compels you to do. Lokejo has written to us, telling of all that you have achieved. Hearing these things from the Tortallan king himself could not make me prouder. Do all that you want to do, my darling chick. I hope that you like your present, I heard tales that such a shiny trinket would please you. The amethyst is from your mother and I, and your brothers sent the onyx one. Think of them as temporary substitutes for us for the time you are away. Happy birthday, my darling Eleni._

_Loving you,_

_Nawat Crow_

_P.S._

_Your mother asked me to relay a message: She expects more letters from her only daughter._

By the time Eleni had finished reading the letter, and reread it twice more, there were more than a few tears staining the parchment. Lokejo had given her a handkerchief and wrapped her in a warm embrace. When she looked up at him, she looked lost.

"They love me so much," she whispered hoarsely. The old fears that had surfaced during her exams were raging within her, calling her a sham, a deceiver.

"That they do, little one." He knew all too well the dark places her mind was taking her.

"What will they say when they find ou-"

"They will say that they are very proud of you." Lokejo placed a finger over her lips to silence her rebuttal. "Yes, chick, they will also be hurt, but I know that everything that you will have accomplished by then will outweigh the deception. They love you. Family forgives each other."

Tenderly taking her face in his hands, Lokejo used his thumbs to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. A tiny kiss was placed on the crown of her head.

"Now," he said, the usual mischievous glint back in his eyes. "Why don't I go get your cake from the kitchens." He gave her a stern look when she tried to protest. "You're going to spend your birthday in the saddle. Trust me, when I say that it's a good idea to celebrate early."

Eleni had to laugh, truly starting to feel better. She'd never know how he did it, but Lokejo always made her feel better with his soothing way of telling her the truth. Perhaps it was fate that he had been chosen to watch over her, perhaps, she was just really lucky. Either way, she loved her dear friend.

What made her really laugh, though, was who was waiting outside of her room. Lokejo had opened the door only to find Kyle, satchel in hand, about to knock.

"Can I help you, young master?" The poor boy didn't know what to say, and settled for nodding his head vigorously. Lokejo looked over his shoulder at Eleni. "Did you wish to speak to Myles?" After the second nod, Lokejo sighed in defeat. Kneeling in front of the boy, he looked him right in the eye. "Either you start speaking up around me, or I'm going to send many, many, many letters to your Ma." That did the trick.

"I wanted to know if he would help me. Please don't tell my mother I've been bad. Please!" There poor boy broke under the intimidating glare. Eleni laughed, she couldn't help it. And the boy was still babbling from fright.

Eleni walked over and ushered him into her room. "Lokejo won't do any such thing," she promised, hoping it would stop his fit of hysterics. "Kyle," she said. "How would you like to help me celebrate my birthday? There'll be cake."

He blushed and nodded. "Would I! Really?" He looked back at Lokejo and leaned in to whisper to Eleni. "He's not really going to tell on me, is he?"

Eleni reached up to ruffle his chocolate brown hair. "No. Now, do me a favor and go get Schuylar."

As the panicky boy ran out of her room, Eleni wondered about her responsibilities. She was supposed keep truth above everything else, to help those in need without fail, and to honor her king.

_Well,_ she thought wryly, _I can at least carry out one of my responsibilities. I just hope he doesn't prove to be too much trouble._

"You better go get that cake before they get here," she told Lokejo. "I don't think Schuylar will be too happy if he gets here and sees that there's no cake."

Flicking her on the forehead, Lokejo said one last thing. "Remember that I do all of this because I love you, chick. If no one else believes in you, know that I'll always stay at your side."

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**I'm actually very upset by this chapter. I lost a large portion of it because of some Internet glitch, and had to rewrite that piece twice. I'm sorry if it's not as amazing as what I originally wrote. It was better the first time...**

**BTW: A reviewer wrote in that Eleni and Schuylar sound more mature than their years. In late medieval Europe, which is the time frame that TP based Tortall on, the children of the nobility were capable of reading in various languages by the age of ten and were studying philosophy and literature. I apologize if they seem too mature for some of the readers.**


	38. Killing the Future

**As always, I dedicate this to my wonderful reviewers. You give me ideas and inspiration!**

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After a relatively late night of cake and laughter, getting up on time difficult. The appointed time to meet was two bells before dawn, but the impromptu birthday party had lasted until midnight. If it hadn't been for Lokejo personally waking up half of them, Eleni and her friends would have been late. They were all a little groggy, but they arrived at the stables before Lord Padraig.

More than one stable hand laughed at the sleepy pages.

What roused they pages was the unfamiliar, silver-white mare that was outfitted to ride out that morning. None of them had ever seen her, except for Eleni, and it was rare to see a stranger's horse in these stables. Eleni looked about nervously, knowing who the mare belonged to.

"What's wrong with you?" Schuylar had finally caught up to them. The fool had forgotten something or other and had lagged behind to search for it. "You look like you're about to get eaten by something," he joked. Eleni didn't find him funny and punched him in the arm. "Ow," he whined. "What's wrong with you now?"

"My gra-"

"Myles!" The sound of her grandmother's voice made her jump in the air, drawing out a laugh from Schuylar and a nervous chuckle from Kyle. Alanna of Pirate's Swoop ruffled her grandchild's hair and smiled down at her. "Have been growing out your hair, lad?"

The innocent comment made Eleni remember that she needed a haircut, the sooner the better. Why hadn't she noticed until now? The tips already reached the top of her shoulders. Definitely too long for a boy, especially too long for a boy who was really a girl.

"No, Grandmother. I just forgot to cut it." While trying to avoid direct eye-contact, she asked tentatively, "Are you riding out to Port Legann for business?" _Please let it be a coincidence, _she silently begged inside her head.

Alanna looked back at her mare, having already forgotten about the impending trip. Being around Myles made her think about her younger days with Thom, the good days back in Trebond.

"Yes," she answered, looking around for something. "Lord Padraig informed me that a chaperon was needed for one of his pages. It meant that I would be spending some time you, and I happily obliged." Alanna was actually beaming at Eleni. It only made Eleni feel even more guilty. "Are you friends with the girl?" she asked. "I thought that mayb-"

"No!" The sound carried into the stables from outside. Pierina of Stone Mountain and Fallen Wall was yelling, screaming, at Lord Padraig. At one point she stompted her foot to emphasize her displeasure. "I refuse to have her as a chaperon! She's of no use to me, I don't need someone like her!"

Those in and around the stables bowed their heads in shame or looked away from the scene. To say such things was, well, it was plain rude. That Sir Alanna was there to witness it just made it worse.

Varick of Storm Pass felt his face redden and a little piece of his soul died. This outburst was simply more proof that the girl he once cherished was gone for good. Shame was coursing through him, painfully accentuated by the continuing yells outside. She'd never take back those words, he had to admit it.

He bowed to Alanna in greeting and apology. "Please, forgive Pierina, Sir Alanna," he said, still bowing before the knight. "Pieri has a way of letting her mouth get the best of her. I apologize for her words."

Brushing off the comment, Alanna placed her hands on the boy's shoulders and righted his stance. "Think nothing off it. I've heard much, much worse." Truthfully, it hurt to hear such words from a female page, but Stone Mountain had always been strictly conservative, so the girl's opinions had deep roots. "To be fair, I only agreed to come on this trip to spend time with Myles."

Alanna's easy smile made them forget the fuming girl-child outside. They were at ease and returned to readying their mounts. Eleni was exceedingly happy to see Candy. She'd missed the butterscotch mare, having been cooped up in the palace for most of the year. Offering a peppermint, Eleni was glad to see that Candy hadn't been too insulted by the separation.

"I promise I'll bring you peppermints every day, this summer," she promised. Her hands ghosted through Candy's mane, before leading her outside.

Her friends, with the exception of Schuylar, were already mounted and waiting for the signal to ride out. Herne was by his knight master's side, dressed in the green and cream of Legann. The only consolation was that the colors didn't clash with his blonde hair. In fact, he looked rather handsome, and judging from his posture, he knew it too.

Looking around for the missing Schuylar, she shook her head in disappointment when she saw what was keeping him occupied. His horse kept moving away whenever Schuylar got close to him. Seeing that Schuylar was having troubling getting his buckskin gelding to stay still long enough for him to get up in the saddle, Eleni handed her reins to the ever-eager Kyle.

However, Alanna was helping settle the horse by the time Eleni convinced Kyle that he could keep a grip on the mare. With all the tenderness that only a grandmother could show, Alanna calmed down both horse and boy. Sheepishly smiling beneath a faint blush, Schuylar hauled himself atop his horse. Alanna handed him the reins with a few encouraging words.

Kyle started muttering something behind her, and Eleni was forced to turn away from the scene. "What was that, Kyle?"

"I think your horse is going to bite me," he said timidly.

Lord Padraig sounded his horn before Eleni could say anything she'd later regret. Pier was still complaining about her chaperon, when Lord Padraig reached his horse. Turning with a speed no one had thought he still possessed, he made his point clear.

"You, Stone Mountain, are a female page," the venom in the words struck out at Eleni. Would he have treated that way of she had come to Corus as a girl? "As a young woman who is accompanying men, you require a female chaperon. Sir Alanna," it obviously hurt him to address her by any such title. "Is the only woman who is both capable and available. You should be grateful. If you do not agree with my methods, go back home to your mountains." Without another word, the proud training master was on his black destrier and moving to the front of the yard. "Saddle up!"

After the ensuing scene in the stables, the actual trip was uneventful.

Alanna, though present as a chaperon for Pier, stayed close to Eleni and Schuylar for the first half of the ride south. After leaving the city, the roads were rapidly swallowed by fields and country. A quick stop was made for lunch at noon, but it lasted but a moment.

By late afternoon, Eleni was tired of the saddle and bored by the unchanging scenery. There was nothing to entertain her and no one to chat with. Herne was too busy being a dutiful, if sickeningly attentive, squire, and her grandmother had struck a conversation with Schuylar a long time ago. Warren and Simon were discussing something with Devin, and Varick was nowhere to be seen. That left her alone with her second shadow, Kyle of Masbolle.

How she resented the boy and his overeager personality. He meant well, and some would have found the attention flattering, but her ears were starting to ring from his endless, one-sided chatter.

"Mind if I have a word with your sponsor?" The voice stopped Kyle in mid-sentence, and Eleni blessed the voice's owner. Alexander had ridden up beside her, his smoky black gelding easily keeping step with Candy. "You don't mind, do you, Myles?"

"Kyle," Eleni said, eager to have an excuse to be rid of the boy for a few minutes. "Why don't you join my grandmother and Schuylar for a bit?" The boy instantly blanched and Eleni feared he would fall from his horse. "I promise she won't do anything to you."

Satisfied, Kyle slowed his tiny mare to a walk until Alanna and Schuylar caught up to him. Alanna, barely took note of her newest charge, but she did see the page who had taken his place at her grandson's side. Reining in the curses that she was about to let loose, she tried to keep up a conversation with Schuylar and keep an eye of Alexander of Tirragen.

"Thank you." The words were out of her mouth before Eleni could control herself.

"Is he that bad?" He had the nerve to grin at her discomfort, to chuckle even. "Well?" A small part of him was interested in seeing how well Myles handled being a sponsor. He couldn't be as horrible at the job as Alex had been.

"I won't get my friends to assault him in some dark corridor, if that's what you're asking." Eleni wanted to remind him of his crimes, of what he and Pier had done to her. "Speaking of friends," Eleni hazarded a glance at Alex. "Where'd your owner go?" Oh, yes, she was going to take advantage of the Lioness' presence. Neither Alex or Pier would try to do anything with the Lioness so close by.

"Your friend is keeping her busy." He was hurt, but he didn't show it. Though her words stung, he'd heard far worse. He manauvered his gelding closer to Candy, so close that they were almost touching. "How else do you think I managed to escape?"

"Escape?" Eleni didn't like the way her voice broke. Having him so close was affecting more than she wanted to admit, and he was only too aware of how flustered she was. "What do you mean escape?" That, at least, was a slightly more intelligent sentence.

Pleased that he still had some power over Myles, Alex inched away until there was a reasonable distance between their horses. "Varick is keeping her busy," was all that he said, indicating with his head that she look behind them.

He wasn't lying. Varick was riding right next to Pier, trying to speak to her all the while. She didn't seem interested, but it was enough of a distraction that she didn't notice that Alex wasn't with her.

"I see," Eleni whispered. She imagined that Varick was trying to get Pier to apologize to Alanna. Turning back to Alex, she asked what she really wanted to know. "Why did you want to escape to begin with?"

"Can't I want to chat with a friend?" He hadn't stopped smiling throughout their exchange.

"We're not friends." The statement came out more vehemently than she had wanted it to, but the damage was done.

The smile vanished. In its place was a feral scowl, ugly, and marring his already dark features.

"You're right," was his stoic reply.

That was the last time they spoke.

Somehow, they managed to avoid speaking until they reached Port Legann three days later. The dark clouds hanging over the bay reflected Eleni's dour mood. Her mood didn't improve when Lord Padraig said that they would be camping outside of the city.

Sleeping in a tent wasn't a problem, it was the impending rain that bothered Eleni and the other pages. Port Legann and the surrounding waters were infamous for summer storms. Eleni now knew that Lord Padraig definitely hated his charges with a heated passion. Why else would he choose this location?

Lord Imrah and Herne had continued on for the city, promising to return in a few days to help Padraig with the pages' tracking exercises. And just like that, Lord Padraig, Sir Alanna, and the twelve pages were left alone on a the banks of a river that fed a delta leading to the Emerald Ocean. The city would have been more interesting.

Pier still hadn't surrendered to the idea of sharing a tent with Alanna, and started up a resistance as soon as the group made camp. Her screeching, and the distant thunder, were the only things disturbing the quiet wood. Lord Padraig ignored her complaints, but did threaten to send her back to Corus if she did not stop.

With her luck, Eleni had to share a tent with both Schuylar and Kyle. Thinking that the gods were damning her, she set about unpacking her sleeping roll. Kyle, though, was gleeful at the thought of sharing a tent with Myles and Schuylar. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have been befriended two older pages. If only the poor boy had known that Eleni was about to throw him in the river at any given moment.

Dinner was an enjoyable event when compared to the previous four days. Tired beyond belief, Eleni made her way back to her tent, glad that she didn't have first watch tonight. No, she'd have to share the third watch of the night with her tent-mates.

_The gods have got to hate me_, were her final thoughts as she drifted off to sleep.

Though she drifted off easily enough, Eleni's dreams were filled with screams. Just behind the veil of screams, there was an endearing voice calling out, beseeching her. The voices turned into a delightful song, ebbing and flowing, interrupted every now and then by small splashes. Speeding up, the song began to crescendo, reaching a limitless crest. As the rhythm quickened, so did Eleni's breathing. It became difficult to breath, painful almost, and Eleni was forced awake.

Looking around, she saw that Schuyar and Kyle were not in the tent.

The screaming outside, and the singing that tried to cover it up, told Eleni just where her friends had gone. Loud splashing accompanied the singing, and blood-curdling screams followed. One voice in particular caught her attention, Kyle's tiny soprano could be heard wailing above the singing, the splashes, and the screams. Grabbing a dagger, she wasted no time in leaving her tent.

The nightmare that met Eleni was nothing she could have imagined. Though it was dark, the moon gave off enough light to show her friends who where in the river, and the bare women who were trying to drag them under. Even Lord Padraig was surrounded by three women, all of them wrapping their arms around the stunned man. A particularly sadistic looking woman was gripping Kyle by his throat and taking him towards deeper water.

Eleni's feet were going after the woman, reacting on instinct alone. Not caring that she couldn't swim, she jumped into the river, dagger raised, and sought out the woman holding Kyle. All around her, Eleni couldn't fail to notice her friends trying to stave off the women, but her eyes were focused on Kyle's limp form. She had to get to him, but the water had surpassed her waist, and she could go no further.

Something suddenly wrapped around her feet and pulled her under. Just as suddenly, a hand reached under the water to lift her up. Eleni's violet eyes met the ice-blue ones, Pier's eyes.

"I need your help." Pierina of Stone Mountain asked for help.

Eleni then realized that they were in serious trouble.

* * *

**This was originally supposed to be much shorter, but my fingers just kept typing. Oh, well.**

**Whoot for getting out of the palace! And I gave Alex and Eleni some time together, how sweet... Some of you said that Kyle was annoying, so he's going to drown... **

**Anywho, it seems like our darling page will have to suck up her pride and work together with Pier. That'll happen, sure, right about the same time that Stormwings stop loving battlefields.**


	39. Drowning the Sanity

**Just wow... Let's continue, shall we?**

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The meager moonlight that filtered through the looming storm clouds illuminated the gruesome scene below. Not even the booming thunder or the distant din of crashing waves could cover up the screams of the struggling pages. The massacre had just started, and already a few of the pages were were ready to give in. More than one of them had disappeared below the water.

As Eleni watched on, Pier dragged her back to shore. Though her initial instincts were screaming that she go back to Kyle, there was very little she could do. Another one of his poor screams pierced the air.

"Let me go!" Eleni ripped her arm from Pier's grasp, wading through the choppy water. "He needs me!"

"No!" She continued to drag Eleni to shore, shoving her out of the water. "Stay here!" The order was absolute, but Eleni would never listen to her.

"I can help!" Her feet were already in the river again. She had actually managed to walk past Pier, until she was pushed back. "Let me go!" Kyle was still wailing, struggling to stay above the water. "Please, I beg you!"

Pier went so far as to hold her own sword to Eleni's chest. "They're Undine, Pirate's Swoop, they take men. Stay here and help the ones that get free." And just like that, Pier dove under the water.

Left alone, Eleni could only watch as her friends futilely fought the deceptively beautiful women. She could save herself and risk her friends' lives, or she could save her friends and risk herself. The answer came easily. Despite not knowing how to swim, Eleni made it to the closest Undine she could find and the boy she held captive, Devin.

The steel dagger was plunging into the immortal's throat. It instantly stopped singing and the screech that came from its throat was unlike anything Eleni had ever heard in her life. It felt as if jagged pieces of glass were being forced through her skull, like her head would shatter at any moment. Relying on reflex, her hand continued to plunge into the immortal, while her other hand pulled dazed Devin closer to her body.

Then time suddenly stopped. The water around the two pages was glowing with the Undine's pearlescent blood. Amethyst eyes fixated on the blood, how the choppy water swayed it around her, staining her silver. Time slowed down for a moment. She had taken a life.

Then she felt the silver claws wrapping around her neck.

Again, instinct saved her. Quickly turned the blade in her hand, she rammed it into the body behind her. Pressure against the dagger told her that she had made contact with something. Devoid of life, the Undine fell below the water, but not before raking her claws against Eleni's neck and shoulders.

The ensuing splash of the falling bady brought Eleni back to present. Arm locked around Devin's half-drowned body, she made her way to shore. She'd only rescued one of the twelve pages, and she was already tired and wounded. Kyle screaming was all it took to revive her. Gods bless his lungs, the boy was making an effort to stay alive.

After giving Devin her boot knife, Eleni went back into the river. She never saw Devin go back to the water, lulled by the creatures' melody.

Though she couldn't be exactly sure, but it felt like the current was stronger now. Ignoring the pull of the unyielding water, she looked around for Kyle. He was too far away to reach, but someone else was right ahead: Lord Padraig.

Eleni reached the three Undine holding, stabbing one through her milky white skin. Pearlescent blood began to seep from the wound, but the creature did not succumb to the wound. Instead, it screeched like its two sisters had and lashed out at Eleni, silver claws glowing in the meager moonlight. The other two remained with Lord Padraig, softly singing in his ear, effectively keeping him from helping.

As the enraged immortal tried to butcher Eleni to pieces, Eleni clumsy tried to avoid a watery grave. Her feet kept slipping on the rocks below and the pull of the water was too strong. Taking a deep breath, she dove below the surface and tried to impale the Undine's abdomen. The blow hit true, but silver claws were already tightening around Eleni's throat.

The dead weight of the Undine fell on top of Eleni and pushed her further down. Breathing became difficult, but nothing she attempted worked. Struggling to push the immortal off, she gasped from her efforts, only to realize her mistake as water invaded her mouth. Her gasp became gagging, and Eleni saw dark spot clouding her vision.

In a detached sort of way, Eleni knew that she was running out of air, that she was drowning. Bubbles flitted past her eyes, taunting her efforts to free herself.

* * *

_When Eleni opened her eyes, she couldn't see anything at all. Thinking had gone blind, she let out a strangled groan. It wasn't the sound she had wanted to make, however. Her voice wasn't working either. All she knew was that cold tendrils of something kept wrapping around her, pulsating almost._

_Warm hands on her shoulders made her wince, she could finally feel the marks left by the Undine. It was a good sign. If she could still feel, it meant that she wasn't dead. But what was happening then? Not knowing what was holding her didn't make her feel any more secure, but it was keeping the cold away._

_She could still hear, that much was helpful. Trying to draw attention to herself, she let out another awful groan. Suddenly, the warm hands covered her mouth, effectively silencing her. Eleni didn't have the strength to fight back._

_"Peace, nestling." She knew that voice! Hearing it only made her struggle more. "Trust me when I say that you do not want to anger my brother right now."_

_There was a loud hissing noise, a screeching worse than anything Eleni had heard during her battle. Something was very angry and she did not want to stay to find out what. Kyprioth's hold on her tightened._

_"If you run," he whispered in her ear. "He will show no mercy. My sister is trying to keep you alive, do not waste her efforts."_

_Blind to the world beyond, Eleni did felt a windstorm break out. It chilled her bones, and not even Kyprioth could keep her warm. Before she knew it, Eleni could feel herself falling._

* * *

As her scratched up back hit the riverbed, she heard another one of Kyle's screams, amplified by the water. Almost miraculously, it gave Eleni the strength to push away the Undine's corpse. Though the black spots continued to shroud her vision, she managed to right herself underwater.

Before she reached the surface, however, an arm rapidly shot down, trying to locate her. On the third attempt, Eleni grasped the hand, only to be propelled towards the night air. Muggy and damp air met her lungs, but it was the most delicious gulp of air Eleni had ever taken. No sooner had the sweet air entered her lungs, than it was forced out.

Her grandmother was cradling her form to her chest, relieved that Myles was still with the living. Alanna had seen her grandson go down, and it had killed her. It didn't kill her as quickly as she killed the two remaining monsters, but it had shattered her soul. To hold her grandchild, alive, was a blessing.

"Thank the gods that you're alive," she murmured.

Not listening to her grandmother, Eleni's attention was fixed on the overexerted Kyle. He gave one more panicked scream before the Undine holding him pushed him underwater. Eleni would never know what got her to do it, but she swam to the deepest area of the river, propelled by a need to save the poor boy.

Silvery blood stained her hands as she stabbed at the immortal, crazed by her bloodlust. This thing had tried to kill her friends, her mentor, even her grandmother! It had to die. Again and again she brought her dagger down, thrusting it into the lifeless corpse, never minding the fact that she was up to her neck in brackish water.

The Undine had long since let go of Kyle, but Eleni was blind to the action. The only thing she could see was the monster before her. Still moving, still daring to defy her. The dagger plunged down again.

It wasn't until a gentle, but infinitely firmer, hand caught hers that she stopped. It made her realize that the thing was dead, and that the night air was quiet except for the rumble of thunder. The only sound that could be heard was her own agonized screaming.

"Let it go, lad." Alanna was once again worried about her grandson, but this time, it was his sanity that she feared for. "Come back," she whispered.

Stumbling at the sound of her grandmother's voice, Eleni lost her balance. Alanna's arm shot out to catch her, she knew how exhausted Myles had to be. Without putting up a fight, Eleni let Alanna guide her back to shore.

Wide-eyed pages and a harried Lord Padraig watched as Sir Alanna set down Myles. Both were stained silver by the immortals' blood. Another onlooker was covered in silver blood, but she had long since taken to mending the wounded pages. Pierina had kept control of her actions.

Just noticing that she was on dry ground, Eleni regained her senses. Madly whipping her eyes around, she finally calmed down when she saw Kyle leaning against Schuylar. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the bruises on his neck. The ugly marks were also present on Schuylar's neck, and everyone else's for that matter.

But everyone was accounted for, and that was what mattered.

Eleni didn't mind that she was covered in blood, blood that had come from her first battle.

Her first kill.

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**Shorter than the last, but it had more action...**

**I was going to use Sirens, but TP already mentioned Undine in her works, so it was like it was made for me to use. I used a little creative license and tweaked the characteristics of the Undine and merged them with that of a siren. Interesting note: Kyle is mentioned screaming five times, that's the number of reviewers who protested against me drowning the boy. I hope you're happy...**


	40. Dispelling the Sorrow

**For all of my loyal reviewers, you light up my day and give limitless inspiration.**

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"Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"Yes."

"Myles, if you need someone to spe-"

"I said I was fine!"

Eleni's words cut Schuylar deeply, but he understood the underlying agitation. His friend had just killed for the first time, had been presented with a situation that gave him little choice on the matter. Everyone else was on edge too.

Within less than an hour of Alanna dragging Myles from the river, Lord Imrah had appeared with an armed squad. The ear splitting shrieks of the Undine had apparently reached Port Legann and woken half the city.

Not even these battle hardened soldiers knew was to make of the grisly scene by the water. In total, there were sixteen bodies dumped on the nearest bank, all female and lifeless. Even in the weak moonlight, it was easy to see the shimmering blood that had pooled on the riverbanks. The half-drowned pages looked little better than the corpses.

Looking like ghosts themselves, most had gathered around one specific page, the only casualty of the battle. Artan of Bjorn, the source of recent rumors, had not been reached in time. Faded pale blue starred at the heavens, the light gone from their depths. His only two friends, Alexander and Pierina had knelt at his side, grieving in their own stony fashion.

The group had been promptly taken back to the city, and so was the body. Lord Padraig had left the pages under Lord Imrah's care, presumably to contact the mages in Corus. None of them saw him again for hours. The pages had been quickly ushered to the healers' wing of Lord Imrah's cliffside castle.

Eleni had refused to let anyone examine her. The healers attributed it to post traumitic stress and were ready to wait out until the young page calmed down. They had orders to obey, and a small redhead was not going to keep them from their orders. After the pages settled down for the night, they would heal him without objections.

And that's where Eleni found herself that night, pacing the small room that had been given to her and Schuylar. Unofficially, Kyle was spending the night there too.

He hadn't left Schuylar's side since he had been rescued from the river. He hadn't spoken a word since, clinging to Schuylar's arm when the healers tried to separate him from the older pages. Currently on Schuylar's cot, the poor boy had passed out long ago. Eleni's raised voice didn't even reach him, so exhausted from the night's events.

"Don't do this, Myles." Schuylar was checking up on Kyle, covering him with a light blanket. The healers had said that they were all running the risk of having ingested Undine blood, and that there was no telling how it would manifest in them. "Don't shut us out. I want to help you," he sighed. "Can't you just talk to us?" Though the battle was over, he was afraid of losing his friend.

"I just can't." Eleni was dying on the inside. For all that she had tried, a fellow page had died, drowned by those monsters. "I was useless, Schuylar, completely useless!" She punched the wall, trying to rid herself of some frustration, but it only served to remind of the half-healed cuts on her shoulders.

It didn't go unnoticed. "At least let the healers see to your injury," he insisted. When pleaded didn't work, he tried logic. "There's no point in letting it get infected."

"I don't care." Eleni never saw the fist until it reached her cheek. "What was that for?" she demanded. Schuylar didn't back down from his livid friend.

"Stop acting like you're the only one who was there," he grounded out the words. "You were one of the few who actually fought back, so don't say that you were useless!"

"Artan died, and I did nothing!" It wasn't true, she had done plenty, it just hadn't been enough to save everyone. Despite what she expected of herself, she was only eleven years old, still too young to care such burdens. "Useless," she whispered.

Not waiting for a reply, Eleni walked out of the room, leaving Schuylar alone with the slumbering Kyle. She knew he wouldn't leave the boy alone, and that she would get a few minutes to herself. The quiet hall didn't help her already grim emotions.

Mindful of the possibiltiy of wandering healers who would send her back to her room, Eleni stuck close to the fading shadows. It was close to dawn, and soon the entire castle would be awake, full of gossips intent on hearing the tales of the night's battle. The thought disgusted Eleni.

"What are you doing out of bed, young master?" A tall man wearing the robes of a healer placed his hand on Eleni's shoulder. She couldn't hold back a definitive wince of pain. "Ah, still not mended?" He was already moving her towards a door Eleni had just passed by. "This should do," he whispered before roughly shoving her through to a balcony.

"What?" she spluttered indignantly. "Who do you think you a-"

A blinding light hit her eyes, and Eleni knew it wasn't the sun. No, it was something just as impressive, but only half as bright. Where the arrogant healer had been standing there was nothing. She did a full turn until she stood face to face with the pompous rascal.

"I don't have the energy to deal with you," she said. And just like the last time they met, her hand was burned when she tried to open the door. Recoiling from her newest injury, Eleni glared at the insufferable god. "I haven't suffered enough for your liking, is that it?" Common sense told her that lashing out at a god was a foolish idea, but she abandoned left her common sense at the river. "Leave me alone, already!"

Kyprioth let her unleash her rage. Curses and unspeakable swear words were sent his way, but he let her do it. He knew what she had gone through, he had been the one to restrain her at his dark brother's door. Eleni Crow had fought her first battle, died, and come back to the world of the living to finish the fight. Humans were just a little too fragile to take that kind of thing and come out perfectly fine.

Tiring out, Eleni resorted to sliding down against the stone wall, cradling her knees close to her chest. It didn't take long for the tears to start. With the other pages around, she couldn't cry, because that's not something that boys training to be knights did. Kyprioth knew the truth, probably more than she knew herself, that alone made her barriers crumble.

After a few minutes of wallowing in self-pity, a slip of fabric materialized in front of her. A handkerchief. She never noticed Kyprioth sit beside her. Somehow, the idea of a god willing to sit on a stone floor next to a mere mortal was funny to Eleni. She could help the nervous giggles that escaped her mouth. More tears followed the meek laughter.

"Come on, nestling." Kyprioth had hugged her close to him, trying to keep the sorrow from consuming Eleni. "Nestling," he whispered in her ear. She didn't look up. "Myles." The reminder of her deception made her cry even more. Sighing to himself, Kyprioth silently cursing his sister. "Eleni Crow, look at me."

Compelled by the command of a god, Eleni had no choice but to look. The kind, almost fatherly, expression on Kyprioth's face was something Eleni had not expected to see. Now that she wasn't hiding her face anymore, he set to cleaning up her face. The warmth from his fingers brought back memories of her time in the dark place.

"You were the one who saved me."

The statement hung in the air, suspended by uncertainty. Kyprioth could take credit for saving her and be punished by his sister, or tell her the truth and be punished by his sister. Both choices were less than optimal. Trickster to the end, he skipped around answering her. He didn't deny it, but he didn't affirm her suspicions either.

"You did a good job tonight." He noted that enough of Eleni remained for her to snort at his comment. "Really," he insisted. "How many of the others fought back, hmm?"

"They couldn't fight back. The only reason I was able to do anything at all," she countered. "Was because women are immune to the Undine's song."

"So you admit you did something." The girl was speaking, coming out of the cocoon of despair she had constructed. If he could get her to dispel her fears in one go, she might just keep her sanity. "You saved your friend, even that stuff training master you hate so much."

Eleni let out a watery chuckle. "I don't hate him," she said. "He just aggrevates me."

"Fine," the god relented. "But you did save a few lives tonight." He placed a delicate kiss on the top of her head. It was eerily similar to the ones that Lokejo gave her. "You're going to be fine, little one, just fine."

"How do you know?"

Kyprioth gently nudged her. "Look out past the wall. Tell me what you see."

The night had slowly turned to morning, sunlight warming the city beyond the castle. As far as Eleni's eyes could see, there was a golden glow, bathing everything. There was no indication that a battle had taken place that night.

"The sun," was her simple answer.

"Exactly," he whispered, placing a second kiss on the tiny chick. "You see a new day before you. That is proof that everything will be perfectly right. You're watching a new day unfold," he explained. When he saw a tiny ghost of a smile appear on her lips, he knew for a fact that she would be fine. "Now, let's get you to bed. You're going to have a few hard days ahead of you."

They were almost back to Eleni's room, when she asked Kyprioth for a favor.

"Do you think you could heal these cuts for me? I don't really want some healer finding out that I'm not a boy." She felt like a small child, asking such a trifle favor from a god, but it was necessary.

Kyprioth gave her a final kiss on the forehead, before slowing fading from her sight. "What cuts?"

Eleni's fingertips examined her neck and under her shirt to check her shoulders. The Undine's wounds were gone.

"That sly trickster," she muttered. In truth she wasn't angry, but she didn't like him working magic on her without her knowing. "Thank you," she whispered to the empty hall.

Eleni didn't thank him so much for healing her wounds as for healing her soul. Perhaps, he wasn't as much of a rogue as her mother had said.

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**Ick. This chapter was so angst-ridden...**

**But all of it was a necessary evil. Kel's first battle was against Spidrens, creatures that barely resemble people. Eleni had to kill various immortals that look identical to human beings. It was a bit much for a little girl to handle. Alanna herself didn't see real combat until after she became a squire. Eleni's path is a little bit rougher than most.**


	41. Clearing the Mind

**As always, for my loyal readers.**

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The battered group of pages returned to Corus two weeks before scheduled. With them came an armed escort, and Lord Imrah's chief healer. They were to explain the battle and resulting consequences to the king. Lord Padraig had requested their presence, he needed the support to face the king.

All of it was pretty pointless in Eleni's opinion. Whatever the king needed to know, these people wouldn't know it. They weren't there. For Padraig to actually need help to convince the king that it hadn't been his own carelessness that caused the death of Artan was a sure sign of his inability to carry out his job.

Somehow, even before the group made it to the city, tongues were already wagging about the battle. It didn't help the rumors that the page who had died was the one who had recently failed his examination. They called it a sign from the gods, that the boy hadn't been meant for knighthood. Divine justice, they said.

Eleni found it disgusting, and she wasn't the only one.

Pier's anger was smoldering below the surface of her stony countenance, awaiting the moment that they returned to the palace. What the people were saying was exactly what they had said about her brother. Raging at the past events that Artan's failures and death were bringing up, Pier silently seethed. The stupid oaf's death was costing her!

The palace was quiet when they arrived, mourning the lost boy. Still somewhat lost themselves, the pages dispersed, needing to be alone. Eleni was eager to be with Lokejo, to escape her grandmother's watchful eye.

Almost as if he had known how much she would need him, Lokejo was waiting for Eleni in her room. Eleni had to let out a small chuckle at the plate next to her bed. He'd come prepared with a snack. Gods bless him, she didn't deserve a friend that loving.

After a lengthy and detailed account of her week away, Lokejo could only shake his head.

"What," he said. "Am I going to do with you, chick?" He was hugging her close to him, reaffirming that he hadn't lost the little girl he saw as his daughter. "One day, you're going to go out and do something truly reckless."

"And jumping into a river full of immortals wasn't?"

It was easier to laugh now that she was back with someone she could be completely honest with. Though she and Schuylar had made up on the return trip, in Eleni's heart there was a constant weight. One day, the friends she had would know the truth, and some of them wouldn't appreciate it. Eleni's face must have shown her emotions, because Lokejo gave her a firm nudge with his shoulder.

"Thinking about it again?" he asked. It killed him to see Eleni questioning herself so often. "I thought we had a talk about that."

Eleni nudged him back, although hers didn't have a third of the force his had. "We did, but I keep thinking about it. I can't help it," she admitted.

"Then why don't you just come out and say that you're a girl." He put up a hand to silence her. "There's nothing wrong with being a woman, you know that very well. Your ma and grandmother proved that to separate kingdoms. I'm more than sure they proved it to you too, chick."

She sighed, mulling over her options. True, Tortall allowed women to train for their shields, but there were too many distractions for a female in training. Eleni had seen with her own eyes how depraved some of the older knights were when it came to female warriors. Even the Lord Padraig showed his contempt for female pages and relatives of female knights. The path was full of annoying obstacles that could be easily avoided. Disguised as a boy, the hatred was curbed just a little.

A second sigh escaped her. The choices before her weren't easy, since she had made her initial choice. To expose herself now would cause even more problems. Eleni had complicated things from the very beginning by not thinking things through. Now she regretted her actions. There was no easy way out of her situation.

"It's all right, chick." Lokejo didn't want her to dwell on the subject, only to know that there were options available. "If these boys are true friends, then I know that they won't forsake you. I can tell, they love their friend Myles."

"But will they love Eleni the same way, Lokejo?" Shaking off the doubts, Eleni looked out her window. The skies over Corus were nothing like the storm-clouded skies of Port Legann. "Think I can go off for a few hours?"

"Of course," he replied. "Go clear your head."

Lokejo had barely left the room before Eleni was ripping her clothes from her thin frame. She needed to be in air, to get away from the horrors that had occurred. The pain of her transformation didn't register on her already beleaguered mind. All that matter was getting up in the air.

Free of the oppression of palace responsibilities, of being Eleni, she rejoiced in the feel of her feathered body. The palace was a distant mountain of stone below her, nothing of consequence.

Scarcely three bells later, Eleni was still floating on the warm air above Corus. The sun had begun to set, and soon it would be dark. It had been liberating, but she knew that she had to return before someone noticed she was missing.

_Not that anyone is going to come looking for me anytime soon,_ she thought bitterly.

A few of the pages had become afraid of Myles. At the end of the riverside battle, what most could remember was a savage Myles stabbing at the single immortal left. With the moonlight illuminating the silver blood, he had looked like a demon possessed. They had chosen to keep their distance for the most part.

As she neared the page's wing, Eleni saw a very familiar form in the courtyard. Leaning against the old tree that housed the rambunctious murder, Alexander of Tirragen had fallen asleep outside, oblivious to the world outside of his dreams. She debated on whether to wake him, wonder if anyone would truly appreciate being woken from a nap by a crow.

_It'll be better than being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I can't believe he would just fall asleep like that._

Softly landing on a branch, Eleni was ever mindful of the flock's return. They really wouldn't appreciate her in their tree. When cawing at the sleeping boy didn't work, Eleni hopped down beside him. She had half a mind to peck at him for all the horrible things he had done to her, but she held back.

_A knight does not seek vengeance,_ she thought wryly. _But I'm not a knight, not yet anyway._

Alex came back to the world when he felt a sharp pain coming from his hand. Sleepy eyes saw a black blur attacking his hand, and quickly shook the thing off. The blur was not happy and attack his arm.

"Ow," he yelped. "What in the name of Mithros are you doing?" The only answer he received was an indignant cry. "A crow," he deadpanned. "Nothing but a silly crow."

He said it a few times, reassuring himself that it was nothing more. Alex had been having nightmares since the night at the river, dreams where he drowned. They were chilling, and he never managed to sleep more than an hour or two before he awoke in a cold sweat. A caw brought his attention back to the crow. It looked intelligent, but then again, all of the animals in the palace seemed smarter than the average breed.

"Listen, Master Crow, I didn't appreciate that." He waved the thing off, only to have it land on his shoulder to screech in his ear. "What was that for? How did **I** offend **you**?"

Eleni gave him a smart peck on the side of his head, before flying up to a branch. She liked this flustered Alex, he was more fun this way.

"Well? I'm waiting for a response, Master Crow." Alex thought he was going mad. Talking to a crow, really. Even if the bird had some semblance of intelligence, it couldn't be capable of understanding him. "Fine then, Master Crow. I'll take my leave now." He didn't get far before Eleni landed on his shoulder. "What now?" he asked, slightly chuckling at the crow's antics. "Did you want to come home with me?"

The crow shot off his shoulder so quickly that it took Alex a few moments to find it again. If he hadn't been sure that animals didn't think like people, he would have sworn that it was glaring at him.

"What did I say?"

He tried to coax her back down, but Eleni refused. He had insinuated that she return to his room with him! Yes, he had invited a mere bird to his room, but the point stood. Eleni was still mad, regardless. Go home with Alex, indeed. She gave him a haughty screech and flew off. Let him wonder why even birds took insult at his words, what did she care.

_The boy insults even birds. How ridiculous! But he was kind, all things considered. Not everyone would be that kind to a crow._

Shaking her head clear of warm-hearted thoughts, Eleni's mind went back to flying once more. Another circuit around the palace would be enough time for Alex to leave the courtyard. After all, she couldn't return to her room with him on the lookout.

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**I am SO sorry for how late this update is. I had a dentist appointment that ended with me knocking back a few painkillers every six hours. I spent the last two days in a medicine induced coma, I was in that much pain. Sorry again.**


	42. Finding the Heart

**This one goes out to those of you who reviewed even when FFN was all crazy. Thank you, ****TheWackedOne, ****xDarklightx, ****R0KI, ****Tishica, ****spazzysassyangel!**

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Summer rolled into Corus at the same pace as the cargo barges did from Port Caynn. Slowly and steadily the barges and the days drifted by, neither in any real hurry. The weather was surprisingly kind, cool enough that people weren't getting to hotheaded or fussy. Without the oppressive heat waves, some found the days to be incredibly enjoyable. Overall, it was a very relaxing time.

The impossibly slow pace was driving Eleni Crow mad.

All of her friends had returned to their homes for the summer, virtually abandoning her in Corus. She was sad to say that the only people who remained in the pages' wing were Alex and Pier. Both would have stabbed Eleni in her sleep before carrying on a proper conversation. So that left her with only Lokejo, her ever dutiful servant and friend.

After two aggravating weeks in the palace, George had reluctantly offered her a room in one of his "hideaways" as he called them. He owned a few houses all over the city, places were his informants could meet, rest, and, if ever necessary, hide. Eleni had given her grandfather a lopsided smirk when he had explained the houses' purposes to her.

"Now I'm a fugitive?" she had asked while leaving his study. "Thank you, Grandfather, I'm sure it'll be informative."

George could only laugh at his granddaughter's wordplay. A tiny, surely much more logical, part of his mind wondered about how safe his young, misguided, and overconfident granddaughter would fare in a secret house full of spies. Many horrible things could happen. Someone, anyone really, could find out her secret. On the other hand, it would offer an excellent chance to learn skills not highly regarded by the nobility.

It was quickly silenced when Jonathan entered the room. Business never seemed to slow down for George. Eleni would be able to take care of herself, he assured himself. She had Lokejo, after all.

And so, on the eve of the first of July, Eleni was found packing her trunk, keen on getting to her grandfather's house. She had to admit that her interest was piqued at the thought of meeting the people that worked for the Tortallan Spymaster. Alianne had all sorts of interesting characters working for her, but everything she knew, she had learned from George. His people had to be brilliant!

In her haste, Eleni had left her door slightly open. She didn't care much, it wasn't as if a dozen boys could walk in at a moment's notice. They were gone, and no one would bother coming except Lokejo. He was currently sulking somewhere. Eleni had refused to let him go with her to the city. It was a sort of vacation for her, to be free in Corus without anyone lurking behind her.

Lokejo, simply stated, was a master at dogging her shadow.

It had been a long and drawn out argument, but in the end, Eleni had won. Elated at having beaten the old mother hen, she never noticed the boy leaning on her door frame. He, however, had done a quick sweep of the state of things and come to his own conclusions.

"Leaving already?" Eleni ignored him. If wanted to rile someone up, he'd have to go find someone else. "Without so much as a goodbye, lion cub? I'm hurt," he drawled. Impatient with how the conversation was proceeding, he walked into the room uninvited.

"What do you want, Alex?" Eleni didn't even bother to look up from her trunk as she asked. She was trying to make sure that she had everything and wouldn't be forced to come back to the palace and a gloating Lokejo. "I don't have time for you," she said lightly.

"Or the manners to hold a conversation," he retorted. Inclined to bother the redhead, knowing that it wouldn't take much to anger him, Alex sat on his bed and reclined on the pillows. "These are very comfortable, you know," he said in an offhand fashion. He could have been talking about the weather, the way his words never shifted from their usual bored tone.

Eleni only glanced up for a second, but she instantly didn't like what she saw. "Off of my bed. Now," she added for emphasis. For some reason, seeing Alex on her bed had made her stomach flip. Eleni didn't particularly like the sensation. "I said to ge-"

"I heard you," he brushed off the command. "But," he flashed a wicked smile at the reddening Eleni. "Like, _I_ said, these pillows are amazingly comfortable. Wherever did you get them?"

Alexander of Tirragen had enough control of his senses to get off the bed before he could get hit by whatever it was that Myles was going throw at him. Throwing himself to the floor beside the bed, he stared in amazement. A lock CRACK was heard from right above his head just before a rock fell onto the bed.

"Did you just throw a rock at me?" he screeched. It was almost funny, the boy had never lost control of his voice like that. "You're mad!," he exclaimed. "And for that matter," he picked up the dark, dense rock. "Who carries around a rock?" Alex tossed the damned thing into the air, only to catch it as it came down. He saw how Eleni's eyes followed the black stone. "Oh, important is it?" He gave her his most devious smirk yet. "In that case, I think I'll be keeping this. A souvenir for my efforts at trying to tame a lion cub."

Cocky , Alex fully intended to bask in the sweet glow of victory back in his own room. He didn't count on the door being blocked. He really didn't count on a large, obviously offended, Raka man blocking his only exit.

"Good evening, young master," he greeted, cordial with every syllable. "Visiting Myles?"

Alex could only nod at the behemoth. Lokejo was definitely not pleased to see him, much less when he was clearly teasing Myles. Eleni calmly walked up to Alex and took back her rock. He didn't resist.

"Alex was just leaving, Lokejo." Both gave her disbelieving looks. "Let him be on his way, please."

The boy scrambled out of the room, gathering the remnants of his pride. A foreign servant had just put the heir of Tirragen in his place. That was embarrassing. The two Kyprish natives watched him go, both secretly amused with how the matter had ended.

"Now do you see why I don't like leaving you alone?" he asked with a hint of seriousness. "I just don't like the idea of you all alone with boys, much less men." Lokejo set to rearranging her trunk, knowing that the girl wouldn't pack properly. "Why can't I just go with you?"

"Because I need to get away for a while," she replied.

Never one to pass up a decent chance for a joke, Lokejo said, "Lass, you're going past the palace gates. If you wanted to get away, Scanra was a better choice."

Eleni knelt beside him and placed the rock in a small bag. "I want to be myself for a while."

Lokejo's eyes widened in misunderstanding. "Don't you dare reveal that you're a girl!" he whispered harshly. "If anything were to happen to y-"

"Calm down." Eleni leaned back against her trunk. "I meant that I wanted to be normal for a few weeks, like I was back home. No one bowing to me al the time or hurrying out of the little noble's path. Remember those days?" she asked wistfully.

"Oh." Lokejo was silent for a few moments, reminesing with Eleni. It was true, what she said about life on the islands. No one had treated Eleni like nobility. She was respected as the daughter of one of the heroes of the revolution, but that was it. No bowing, no groveling, no real responsibilities. "Fine," he relented. "But you have to let me visit, at least."

"Agreed." Eleni couldn't fool herself, she knew she would miss her dear friend. Visits were fine, as long as he didn't go over the top.

The next morning Eleni and Candy heading out of the palace and down the Palace Way to George's hideaway house in Patten District. Past the Palace complex was the Temple District. Eleni had given the area a precursory glance on the few and rare occasions she had accompanied her friends down to the city.

It was a beautiful sight. With its marble temples and countless priests and priestesses wandering the area, the district conveyed a sense of divine greatness. Something about the place made Eleni feel uneasy and she urged Candy into a trot. She didn't see a young priestess stop her conversation to follow Eleni with her eyes. Something was definitely off about the place.

Once in the city-proper, Eleni felt much better, more welcomed. Just like on her first day in Corus, Eleni compared the buslting city to her own dear Rajmuat. Both were so full of life, humming with the day to day activities of people who didn't have to live up to noble expectations. It was an extremely welcomed change of pace.

With George's directions written on a slip of paper in her hand, and with the help of a few patient commoners, Eleni had little trouble finding the house. What did give her trouble was the place itself.

The Hearty Hart, as was proclaimed on the ridiculous sign hanging above the front door, was one of Corus' most "exclusive" eateries. The sign depicted a white deer charging out of a ruby red heart. It was utterly ridiculous and ostentatious.

_What a stupid sign,_ she thought.

A three story building that looked like it had seen more than its share of winters. Apart from hem gaudy sign, it fit in just fine with the rest of the street. Most of the surrounding buildings were decent businesses and homes of the comfortably situated. George hadn't sent her into the dreaded Cesspool, but he had kept her away from the frumpy, well-to-do districts. It was perfect.

"Are you George's grandson?" A young, delicate, and very beautiful woman was leaning out the window, watching with delighted eyes. "My lord never said that you would be such an adorable morsel." Her pouty red lips pursed and blew a kiss in Eleni's direction. Coupled with the saucy wink sent her way, it was Eleni's undoing.

Suddenly, Eleni felt like she would have to repay her grandfather dearly for the headaches that were sure to follow her in the weeks to come.

_A doxie, Grandfather? A damned doxie! Perfect choice of chaperon._

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**Sorry, sorry, sorry, and sorry to the nth power. FFN has been nutty, and I've been medicated. It's hard to work up the will to do much when you're spitting out blood every few minutes. Oh, the pain your orthodontist can inflict on you...**

**Anywho, who likes? Anyone? I figured it was time to get Eleni out of the palace and out in the real world. You know, without the feathers and beak and stuff...**

**Ugh, I had to bust out Terrier to get Corus right. Three guesses on how long it took me to find it among the dozens of books on my desk.**


	43. Passing the Summer

**For my loyal readers.**

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"Lunch will be served in about an hour, if you're hungry lad. And my room is the one at the end of the hall if you get really _hungry_."

If had been possible to die of embarrassment, Eleni would have done so already ten times over. Throughout the entire tour of the Heart Hart, the doxie, now known as Irina, had dished out more than her fair share of innuendo. That she was now offering her services only made things more uncomfortable.

"It was a joke, laddybuck," she whispered in Eleni's ear. When had she snuck up on her? "My lord told me to behave around you, so I'm afriad we'll have to wait for another time." After a quick, and unwarranted, peck on the cheek, the buxom young woman left Eleni alone in her new lodgings.

Eleni barely waited for the woman to leave before closing her door shut and locking it. Irina heard the bolt slide from the other side of the door and laughed. It was going to be a long summer.

Though irate, she had to laugh. Her grandfather had really worked one over on her. Want to get away from stuffy nobles? Sure, let me house you with prostitutes! An agitated hand ran through her hair, trying to calm her nerves. Eleni would simply learn how to adjust.

"Don't be shy if you get hungry. I'll be right below!" Eleni cringed at the woman shouting outside her door. "I hope to see you, darling!"

It would be a very, very long summer.

Eleni briefly considered returning to the palace, but her pride brushed the thought away. Lokejo would never let her hear the end of it if she ran back now. Scared off by a doxie, indeed. Royal pages were not scared of women. Even when a woman was intent on bedding said page.

When Eleni finally emerged from her room, it was only because she had been promised lunch. She desperately hoped that it hadn't been some ploy on Irina's part. As luck would have it, the buxom blonde cornered Eleni at the foot of the stairs.

"You missed me," she purred draping her slender arms around Eleni's shoulders. "Hungry?" The seductive whisper in her ear made her blush ten shades of scarlet, but Eleni nodded her head. "Then let's go to my room!"

Eleni struggled when she realized the trap she had walked into. There was no way she was going to let this woman strip her of her clothes, not to mention her dignity.

"Let him go, Irina. Not all men want you."

Eleni looked pleadingly at her savior, another woman, but this one at least tried to cover herself. At average height, the woman wasn't very intimidating, but she carried herself with confidence. Aloof in the way that only those with power can act, she played with her black braid, never giving Irina her full attention.

"Come on, lad, lunch has been served."

Apparently Irina knew better than to disobey and quietly followed. Eleni, left alone at the bottom of the staircase, was dumbfounded. Her grandfather really had sent her to a crazy house. One woman was harlot and another put the fear of the gods in your soul with a few words. What other surprises could await her? It was just too cruel.

The entire first floor of the Heart Hart was what its sign proclaimed, an eatery. Tables crowed room, and at the far side of the room there was a bar counter. The only thing the place was missing was customers.

"It won't be opening until after two." Once again, the dark haired woman had snuck up behind Eleni. Seeing her jump, she apologized. "Forgive me, little one. I have been told that I am much too quiet." She gave Eleni a tiny curtsy.

"That's not what the men say!" Of course, Irina could not be quiet at all. Something told Eleni that Irina had never been silent in her whole life. "Come over, young master, you can sit next to me."

Eleni shrunk away from the blatant invitation and at an empty stool at the bar. It was a few seats away from Irina, but not far away enough to insult her. The last thing Eleni wanted was to insult anyone in this house.

"Leave the lad alone." A portly, tanned man had just come out of the kitchens. He swatted at Irina with a dish rag. "What can I get you, lad?" Eleni was shocked into silence. How many characters did her grandfather intend for her to live with. "What's the matter, Irina got your tongue?"

Eleni blushed again. What was with these people? Everyone she met was intent on saying these kinds of things! She might have wanted a break from palace life, but this was too much. Eleni slumped against the counter, burying her face in her arms.

"Enough already," the dark-haired woman said, placing a gentle hand on Eleni's back. "Can't you see that you're embarrassing the poor boy." Somehow this woman always knew what Eleni was thinking. Maybe not all of the occupants were insane or difficult. "Come now, I believe James made a delicious fritter today. How about it, Myles?"

Hearing her supposed name for the first time made her head pop up. Here was the sole person who had bothered to say her name, the one person who wasn't bent on making her feel like an oddity. "You said my name," she whispered, truly amazed that she might have found one kind, sane person in this house.

"Am I not allowed to?" The woman bowed her head. "I apolo-"

"No, I'm fine with it, really. You're just the first person here to call me by my name. Thank you, Mistress... well, I don't know your name," Eleni concluded.

"Avery."

Suddenly, Eleni felt a pair of arms slink around her waist and an empty head rest on her shoulder. Irina did not like being left out, and she didn't appreciate the so-called competition.

"This one is mine, Avery. After all, my lord did send him to me, not you." Irina dug her nails into Eleni's sides. "This one i-" Again, the dish rag swatted at Irina. "Ow," she pouted. "What was that for, James?"

A plate heaping with food was placed in front of Eleni. "Let the lad eat in piece," he scolded Irina, before turning to Eleni. "You'll have to forgive her, she doesn't know any better."

"That's right," added Avery. "George found her in Scanra, the gods alone know how she was raised. The poor dear is a savage."

Irina almost knocked Eleni of her stool, trying to get at Avery. "Better than how _you_ were raised!" For the third time in a handful of minutes, James hit her with his dish rag. "She started it!" All too quickly, Eleni was figuring out that Irina wasn't a delicate flower. She might have been prettier than any court beauty, but this flower had thorns. "It's not fair," she whined.

"Here, already!" James placed a glass of wine in front of her chair. "Leave them be, and no one will bother you." When Irina bounced over to her stool, she leaned over the counter to peck James on the cheek, much to the middle-aged man's delight. "Flattery will get pretty girls everywhere, huh?"

Placated, the blonde doxie calmed down long enough for Eleni to eat her meal uninterrupted. While she ate, Eleni subtly observed the two women and man she would be living with that summer. They were strange, there was no arguing it, but at least they weren't boring and meek. That would have been insufferable.

Later that night, Eleni was eating alone at a small table. She was finishing off her delicious piece of plum pie. Apparently, flirting wasn't Irina's only talent; she could bake. Throughout her meal she had watched the various patrons come and go, none had been particularly fascinating. Common people having a nice dinner.

As her eyes roamed around the room one last time, she saw something that _was_interesting. A young man, probably not much older than Herne or Percy, had just come in. He was very tan, almost as dark as some of the natives on the Copper Isles. But it was his clothes that got her attention. He was dressed in all black, from his short-sleeved tunic, to his breeches and boots. No one in their right mind would wear that much black in the summer.

Irina instantly glided over to the boy and gave him a kiss. The boy returned the gesture, laughing at something that was whispered in his ear.

_Well,_ Eleni thought, quite satisfied with this development._ At least she'll leave me alone for a while._

She was wrong. Irina dragged the boy over, introduced him as Merle Brown, and promptly left them alone. Eleni supposed they were meant to strike up a conversation and couldn't see any real reason to not speak with the boy. He was already offering her an easy smile.

As it turned out, Merle was a Trainee in the Provost's Guard, barely a few months on real duty. With what he considered a copious amount of luck, he had been assigned to a pair of Guards on the Day Watch, an assignment that he greatly enjoyed. Eleni laughed at his stories about ridiculously easy arrests and endless chases that he and his friends had been sent on. Merle was the type of person one couldn't help but like.

And just like that weeks passed and July disappeared. The city became warmer, muggy even, but Eleni loved every minute that she spent outside of the palace. Around the beginning of August, more and more people crowded into the city. Everyday, it seemed like the population of the city doubled.

When four new boarders took up rooms at the Hearty Hart, Eleni became very curious.

"They're farmers who have come in with their early harvests," Avery explained rapidly. Though they had already rented out all of the available rooms, the Hearty Hart was always full of customers nowadays. "They always think that selling their crops before the big harvest. Silly if you ask me." She was called away by a patron before Eleni could ask more questions.

So it was. Soon the city had an influx of farmers trying to sell their crops ahead of each other. To Eleni, after the fist few days, they were just more customers at the Hearty Hart. It wasn't as if the place wasn't always packed. The usual patrons were still there, the farmers had just added to the numbers a little bit.

Besides, tonight Eleni had been invited to dine with some members of the Provost's Guard. It promised to be interesting.

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**I had so much fun writing Irina. Gods bless the woman, she is a demon in disguise. But yes, Eleni has to have a feminine role model. So if it's a prostitute, it just means that there's a shortage of women.**

**A/N: And this is the beginning of the slowing down process. I move back into my dorm this week, and school starts just after. I promise to put out 1-2 weekly chapters, but school will take precedence. **


	44. Exposing the Woman

**For my darling readers who have stayed loyal, despite the downtime.**

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Like clockwork, Merle Browne entered the Hearty Hart a few minutes after his watch ended. This time, though, he was accompanied by two older Guards, his training pair. Eleni had to laugh when she saw his partners, she now understood how he was such a sweet talker when it came to women; his partners were both female.

Chara Reid was a tough old lady, on duty longer than Eleni had been alive. That was all the information she offered about her age, and to the whole dinner conversation, but Eleni could tell that she was a good woman. Merle's second partner, Liv Fell, was much more lively. Merle's other partner was a tough gal too. She had already given eight years of service to the Lord Provost and planned to give the rest of her life to the job.

These were independent women who didn't care much for keeping households or men. Neither would make much of Merle's constant flirting either. To them it was almost like a very young boy was getting ahead of himself. His poor attempts at getting Liv's attention made the whole table laugh.

"I'd like to see Myles do any better," he grumbled, leaning back into his chair and nursing his drink.

"Keep me out of this," Eleni said, calling over Irina for a second pint of twilsey.

"I've been told that I'm very popular with all the mots Corus has to offer." Merle insisted. His pride as a man was at stake, and the poor idiot had had one too many drinks to know to back down.

"And who told you that whelp?" It was the first time that Chara had said a whole sentence.

"Irina told me tha-" He was interrupted by a bout of laughter from his eldest partner. "What? What's so funny?"

"Don't tell me you're fallen for that little doxie," was the barely contained response.

"Why not?"

Eleni couldn't believe Merle's insistence on the matter. A prostitute would say anything to a man, even a prostitute as somewhat honest as Irina. Before she could tell her new friend to quit while he was behind, the doxie in question arrived at their table.

"Another drink for the young master," she said while setting down a cup in front of Eleni. As she practically slinked her way over to Merle, Eleni had to choke down the giggles that threatened to break free of her lips. "And you know where to find me after your meal, darling," she purred into his ear. After a not so small peck on the lips, she went back to work.

"See?" Merle said, smugger than a fox in a hen house. "She's crazy about me."

Chara guffawed uncontrollably. Somehow, in between the fit of laughter, she managed to choke out a few words. "Irina is crazy about you, whelp, no question about it. But you might be a little crazy too." Liv handed Chara a drink to calm down. "I have to let you in on a little secret, though it's not mine to tell." She winked at Liv.

"Now, Chara," she warned. "It's not your place."

"It is my place if it means this little whelp will be bouncing around staring after that doxie," she quickly retorted. "Listen to me good, boy, and listen well. That sweet girl has had that same face since the day she arrived in Corus. Her face hasn't aged a day."

Chara laughed all over again at Merle's expression. His face had slacken and his mouth was hanging open. Eleni couldn't help but to chuckle along with the table, it was a bit of information that Irina would never have volunteered. Who would have told Eleni that the doxie was older than she looked?

"What do you mean?" Merle was blabbering incoherently, trying to make sense of the revelation. "Of course she's aged. She blossomed into a beautiful flower," he said, looking for his lady love. His eyes got misty when he spotted her across the floor. He really was making a fool of himself, and Eleni meant to enjoy every second of the spectacle. The moment of elation lasted until Chara rapped him hard on the head. "What was that for?"

"For ignoring your elders," she easily said. "And for eying one of your elders as if she was a lass your age. I told you that one hasn't aged a day since the moment I met her, and I wasn't lying." She took a long sip of her ale, smacking her lips to drag out the moment of suspense. "Way I heard it told, our girl was a pretty powerful hedgewitch up in the north. And she didn't like looking at her reflection and seeing her age. No telling how old she really is," she gave a wolfish smile to her Trainee Guard. "But I'm sure she loves you, regardless of age."

The evening ended in laughter, all of it at Merle's expense. At sixteen years of age, the would be lover had been dealt a heavy blow. Eleni didn't know what was aching worse, his pride or his heart. She reckoned that his pride would need a very long time to mend.

On her last day living in the city Eleni was resting on her bed, tired after hours of exploring the city. She called it exploring, but it had really been helping Irina and James do some shopping for the week's cooking.

It had been fun, being an errand boy for them. The life of the common people, of those outside of the palace, was immensely different from the life of the nobility. Nobody stared at Eleni like she was supposed to do something legendary. To the people around her, she was little more than a red-haired boy that was helping Irina carry groceries.

Eleni could hardly wait to taste the dessert Irina had promised to make with the raspberries they had bought at the market. In the two months Eleni had live at the Hearty Hart, she had learned to crave Irina's desserts.

Dinner that night was spectacular, and she would have sworn that it was only that great because it was her last night staying at the Hearty Hart. Eleni enjoyed it to the fullest, though. Merle had joined her for dinner, along with two other Trainee Guards, Janis Joiner and Greta Adler. They were a lively bunch, the kind of people she had expected to befriend Merle.

The room was full that night and the patrons received a special treat, Avery performed for the diners. Her voice was magnificent, glorious and beautiful all at once. After a few songs, Avery curtsied to the applause and wolf-whistles, blushing from all the praise. For a moment, Eleni was slightly jealous of the woman's vocal talent, then brushed it off. Avery had sung as a farewell present. There was no need to tinge the gift with envy.

Dessert was a wonderfully delicious as Eleni had anticipated, and after wishing her friends good night, she went up to her room. Positively exhausted, Eleni tossed off her tunic and kicked off her boots. Without bothering to change into her night clothes, Eleni fell backwards onto her bed. She was just about to fall asleep that way when her door burst open.

Eyes flying open, she had almost expected the shriek that came from whoever had opened her door. The only thing Eleni managed to see was a shock blonde hair, but it was enough; Irina had seen her. Jumping from her bed, Eleni bolted to the door and slammed it closed, bracing it with her small body. She closed her eyes and willed the moment away, that Irina had not seen her for what she really was, that it was all a horrible dream.

But someone was already forcing open her door.

Still keeping her eyes tightly shut, Eleni felt warm hands on her face. She recoiled away from Avery, knowing her by just a touch, and sank down to the wooden floors. Avery just closed the door and sat down next to Eleni.

It didn't take long for Eleni to start crying. Avery hugged her close and made shushing noises, but otherwise let her cry. When Eleni was spent and could only sniffle, Avery brushed back Eleni's bangs and got up. Coming back with Eleni's tunic in hand, she knelt before the distraught girl.

"I should have known George sent you to us for a reason," she whispered. "Told me to keep an eye on you and to make sure that Irina didn't try anything. That should have raised flags." Avery's delicate white hand reached up to her hair and pulled. The raven black hair was a wig. Below it was short blonde hair, scarcely darker than Irina's. "See? Your grandfather knew exactly what he was doing when he sent you here," she explained. "Both of us are trying to pass for what we're not."

Eleni wiped away stray tears with the back of her hand, all the while contemplating the woman before you. She shrugged on the wrinkled tunic, before speaking. "So, you're really a blonde. That's not as bad as parading around as a boy. Lying about you hair is not the same as lying about your gender," she grumbled.

Avery just laughed. She kept laughing until small tears leaked out of her eyes. Letting out a long breath, she fell down on the floor, leaning back on her hands. "You still don't get it? Let me ask you a question, then. What did you see tonight when I sang?"

Not knowing where the situation was heading, but knowing that it couldn't possibly get any worse, Eleni gave an honest answer. "A very beautiful woman singing."

"Lass, you just don't pick up on details," she sighed. "Even when I parade them in front of your nose." Avery took her hands and firmly held Eleni's face. "I'm not a woman. I'm actually a man." Avery pulled back his hands, just sat there, watching Eleni for a reaction. "Now do we get it?"

"Huh?"

Eleni was still reeling from it all. She'd been exposed, and instead of berating her, Avery had exposed herself, or rather himself. Nothing made sense anymore.

"You're not a woman," she said slowly, trying to work out the facts for herself. Avery shook his head. "And you're not angry at me for lying?"

"Nope," he popped the the p in the word. "That would make me a hypocrite, wouldn't it?" He saw that Eleni wouldn't quite look him in the eye. "Hey," he said. "Don't worry about it. I'm not angry, and Irina will be fine. A little miffed that she can't have a new toy, but she'll get over it." He got up and dusted off his hands on his dress. Offering a hand, he asked, "Why don't you get ready for bed? You have a big day tomorrow."

As Eleni laid awake that night, she thought about how important the people in her life had become. Earlier, the thought of losing the friendship of the tenants of the Hearty Hart had nearly shattered her. It just proved how much she had come to value these people. Eleni had been blessed with kind and understanding friends.

Maybe her other friends would be as understanding.

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**Exposed! Le gasp. I hope you guys enjoyed your Merle time, and the bits about Avery and Irina. Next chappie we'll be back to the palace and our dearly beloved pages. BTW, this chapter made me realize what a baby Eleni can be. **

**A/N: I set up a little poll on my profile. Please, please vote on it, it'll be important later.**


	45. Returning the Chirpling

**I have to apologize for the months of nothing that my loyal readers received. College is never easy or lenient, and this year was no exception. I'll be glad to say that the following couple of months will be filled with updates, AND that we will finally be getting somewhere! Thanks and enjoy!**

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After a tear-filled goodbye to the staff at The Hearty Hart, Eleni had set out for the palace. Although it had been difficult to do, Eleni had succeeded in freeing herself from Irina's 'goodbye kisses'. Despite knowing the truth, Irina was in no way deterred. It only served to make Eleni blushed a darker shade of red.

Lokejo had been inpatient for her return and made a trip down to the city to escort her back. Upon arriving at The Hart, and seeing what the blonde woman was trying to do to his charge, he silently swore to himself that the child would not be coming back to this place. Safe indeed! Lokejo would be having a word with George of Pirate's Swoop.

All the same, it was obvious to Eleni that her guardian was more than a little frazzled after a two months without her. She smiled at the knowledge that he truly had missed her.

"Did you enjoy your adventure, chick?" he asked her, sincerely curious about the experience.

Thinking back to the days with the overly-boisterous Irina and secretive Avery, Eleni chuckled. "The days were interesting. I met a fine group of people in that house. Grandfather chose well."

"And nothing bad happened? I mean about, you know," here he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "about you being a lass and all."

Despite her natural talent as a liar and a player, Eleni could never hide anything from Lokejo. He instantly caught the subtle tell-tale signs of an oncoming lie. Her shoulders squared and were thrown back by a fraction, purple eyes stared straight forward, and her fingers tightened around the straps of the pack she carried.

"Good gods, don't try to lie to me, chick. I will have you on the first ship heading back to the Islands, if you so much as try." There was no love in his voice then. Worry and his protective nature taking control, because one of them had to be responsible. "Who knows?"

"Two of the serving women at The Hearty Hart. I was careless one night, and revealed. They won't tell, though," she assured him. When his expression remained doubtful, Eleni tried again. "They're Grandfather's people. They're trained to keep secrets. On penalty of death, remember? I trust them."

Lokejo heaved a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair. For the last eight weeks, he had been relaxed, if a little worried about Eleni, now that she was back under his care, he was even more worried and already working up a headache. "I'll take your word for it, little chick, but I will still have to speak with your grandfather about this. You need to remember that you are my charge, and that your safety is my first priority."

"Fine, fine," she acquiesced. "He probably knows about it already. I'd be surprised if I wasn't summoned to his office in the hours following my arrival."

On the way back to the palace, they discussed all the new things that Eleni had discovered about the city. While Lokejo agreed that the exposure to the life outside of the city walls would give her an advantage over the other more sheltered pages, he still didn't like it when Eleni told him that she planned to return to The Hart every summer. He didn't think that he nerves would be able to take it.

Hours later, Eleni was proven right, hearing a knock on her door. After George's personal messenger had dropped off the missive, Eleni laughed. Holding up the note for Lokejo to read, she looked very much like a proud conqueror.

"I told you so," she said.

Tussling her hair, Lokejo had to chuckle. "I promise to never doubt you again. Now go, I think it would be best to not keep your grandfather waiting."

No sooner had Eleni left her room than she heard a fairly unwanted and venomous voice.

"So the runt of the litter wasn't carried off by Stormwings after all."

A few feet from Eleni's door, languidly relaxed against her own doorway and as beautiful as ever, was Pierina of Stone Mountain, the only official female page. Her hair had grown out, softening the edges of her face and giving her ice-blue eyes a more feminine look. However, what was certainly the most drastic change in the page was her choice of attire. For the first time that Eleni could recall, Pier was wearing a gown. A soft charcoal confection made her eyes seem yielding instead of steely, but no attire or hairstyle could transform to scowl she had plastered on her face.

Choosing to take the high road, Eleni ignored the verbal challenge and continued on her way without a word. Thinking twice, she let her crow side get the better of her for just a moment. "Gorgeous dress, Lady Stone Mountain," she shouted out loudly before making a run for George's study. By the sounds she heard, she knew that more than one page had opened their door to see for themselves.

After enjoying a heartfelt laugh, Eleni made briskly made her way to her grandfather's study. The room was as it had been at the beginning of summer, but its owner wasn't. Eleni couldn't say exactly what it was, but there was something different about George. Though it had only been two months, he looked older, more haggard, perhaps it was just a momentary bout of fatigue catching up to him, but it still worried Eleni.

Knocking gently, she made herself known in the open doorway. "You called for me, Grandfather?" At the simple sight of his only granddaughter, it appeared that years were lifted from George's face, that his troubles had been vanished by her presence.

With a kind smile, he beckoned her to close the heavy soundproof door. By the time that she turned back around to face his desk, George had already left his chair and was about to engulf his grandchild in a bone-breaking embrace.

"Grandfather," she managed to squawk. "Fragile bones!"

Letting her go with a guffaw, George led her to a chair before going to his own. Finally able to calm his laughter, he asked what he had wanted to know. "How was your stay with my people in the city?"

The sixth bell rang as Eleni was finishing up her stories. She admitted to being found out by Irina and Avery, knowing that it would be futile to hide anything from her Grandmaster. He hadn't become the king's Spymaster without good reason. He was pleased that Eleni had made friends among the different people who happened his disguised spy house, and assured her that his people could be trusted to keep a secret or three.

"As entertaining as this has been, pet," he said. "I do think that it is time you head back to your room." With a final hug, George watched his daring granddaughter leave. She certainly had made good use of her time in the city, but if she didn't stay aware, she'd expose herself sooner than later. "Gods help," he muttered and got back to his dreaded paperwork.

Eleni noticed that the servants had already started to light the candles and torches around the castle. She hadn't noticed how quickly it had become dark within the castle. Though the sun was far from being gone, there were already parts of the castle that were dimming. The dancing shadows on the walls proved distracting as well as entertaining. It had been weeks since she had been in a palace, and it would take time to reacquaint herself with having servants organizing things away from her sight.

Eleni had almost manage to make it back to her room when an arm shot out from a room, effectively throwing Eleni off balance and allowing the arm's owner to drag her inside.

Like she had thought, it would take time to get used to the ways of a palace again.

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**I hope that everyone enjoyed the newest chapter, despite the slow progress. Never fear, this is just a warm up and a way for me to get back into the groove of writing this fic!**


	46. Trusting the Cat

**I'm trying to stick to my old pattern of updating. These will keep coming at rapid speed, because I want to produce as many chapters as I can before I head back to college. Cheers!**

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There were few things that could scare Eleni. She'd been born in a time of unrest, her native country embroiled in a still simmering rebellion. The children of Alianne Crow were seen as easy targets by the displaced aristocrats, a way to get back at the "commoner" who had destroyed the old ways. From the moment of her birth, attempts had been made on her life. If it hadn't been for her watchful parents and Lokejo, Eleni wouldn't have stood a chance against life.

Even so, the electrum eyes that were boring into hers were more than enough to scare her. The added pressure of stronger hands over her arms and the wall digging into her back didn't help to alleviate her fears. Whenever she was in a palace room with Alexander, she instantly became a trapped mouse for him and Pier to play with. She had only escaped because she had been rescued.

With Perci gone off to be a squire to Sir Merric of Hollyrose and off to patrol the Northern borders, there was little chance that he'd come to her rescue. Eleni would have to face this battle herself. It didn't help that she'd thrown a rock at his head the last time that they had seen each other.

"What do yo-"

"Stay quiet," he ordered. Alex pushed her away from the door, a little more forcefully than necessary and stuck his head outside the door. After a few moments of silence, he closed the door and looked back at the redhead. "You know, you have a way of asking for trouble."

Indignant and proud as ever, Eleni could help rising to the challenge. "And you have a way of manhandling me, Tirragen."

"Now, now, kitten," he began. Though he seemed genuine, the quick tap on the head that he gave her reminded Eleni of whom she was dealing with. "I was only trying to help you." The small smile he wore said otherwise.

"I don't believe you."

He let out an overdramatic sigh. He would have made a decent player if he hadn't been born Noble. "No one ever does. I suppose there would be no point in asking you to trust me either? No, I guessed as much." He gave her a second tap on the head and headed for the door. "Do me a favor, though, stay in here for a few minutes."

Despite much grumbling on her part, Eleni stayed put and waited like he asked. The worst that could happen was that he brought back Pier and they tried to gang up on her. For some reason that she couldn't name, Eleni was quite sure that Alex wouldn't do that. Though he aggravated her to no end and mercilessly teased her, with the exception of a single instance, he had never tried to really harm her.

A shriek from down the hallway brought Eleni out of her thoughts. Pier had been down the hall, no doubt waiting for some unsuspecting prey, probably Eleni. Despite his cool exterior, Alex was trying to protect her from Pier; perhaps he was capable of redemption after all. No one would believe her, but in time the others would see it for themselves.

Ten minutes passed before Eleni left the room, but now the halls had darkened even more, and she sped up to reach her room before other surprises jumped out at her. She had almost made it to her door, her hand was already outstretched, and then she was slammed against the chilled stone floor.

A mop of poorly-cut dark brown hair was all that Eleni could see from her point of view on the floor, but she already knew who it was that was keeping her down. This bear hug was the work of one page alone, and it was only a matter of time before she had to keep to the promise she had made at the end of Spring. With a partially controlled hit to the side, she got the boy off her torso. A yelp followed shortly.

With his big hazel-green eyes, Kyle looked as much of a lost puppy as he ever had. Eleni couldn't stay angry at the boy, but she was confused. She knew that he had stayed in the palace over the summer with Sir Nealan's family, but the boy had been too terrified to even say goodbye.

_I guess that a few weeks without me made those fears disappear,_ she though wryly. _So much for me scaring off the duckling._

Eleni didn't bother getting off the floor. "What can I help you with, Kyle?" This was probably going to be a request to remember Lady Knight Kel's words to care for her son. "Anything interesting you wanted to say?" she couldn't help the sarcasm that escaped, it was her only defense in the palace sometimes.

Her words had an effect on the poor boy, his face ashened and then flushed. Finally realizing what his overzealous actions had resulted in, Kyle stuttered an apology while overing Eleni a hand.

"Forgive me, Myles," he stammered out. "I was just so happy that you finally returned, but you weren't in your room. Your, um, friend was, though." Eleni cracked a smile at he thought of Lokejo answering the door to see Kyle standing on the other side. "He said that you'd be back soon, so I decided to wait."

It took Eleni only a few seconds to feel guilty about having left the boy waiting for so long. She hadn't thought that anyone else would want to see her upon her return. Assuming that Kyle would be entertained by his family, she hadn't considered even visiting him.

"No worries," she told the hyperventilating boy in kneeling in front of her. "I apologize, too. I was having a chat with my grandfather."

"I'm sorry for knocking you down," he mumbled again. She shook her head at his puppy-like innocence. The boy was kind, and she hoped that he managed to keep his purity intact throughout his training. "Really, I'll apologize as many times as I need to!"

"Hush now, Kyle." Eleni led the taller boy to her door and from her tunic pulled out a key that was hanging on a chain. "Have one of the maids asked if you wanted a magicked lock for your door?" she asked as she unlocked her door. At the boy's perplexed look, she elaborated. Eleni herded him into her room and explained, "The maids asked Lokejo if I wanted my lock magicked just in case."

"In case of what?" Kyle's voice had become a whisper as he saw the giant Raka sitting at the desk. "Why magic the door at all?"

Eleni sat down on her bed and patted the space beside her. "Because of whom I am, because of who my grandmother is." Lokejo noticed that he was making the young boy nervous and twitchy and excused himself. "Not everyone appreciates what our female relatives have done, you know."

Kyle nodded in agreement. "I know," he whispered. "I don't want to be a tattletale - Mother said that I shouldn't be one - but I can tell you, right?"

"Of course," was the easy reply. Eleni respected how strong the boy was trying to be, and it almost reminded her of her little brothers back on the Islands. "Who did what and when?" She already had an inkling as to the 'who' but Eleni was going to let him say it for himself.

"Well," he couldn't say it. "I don't want to be-"

"Either you tell me what Pierina did," she ground out, closing her eyes in annoyance. "Or I will go on assumptions and then things will not be pretty." She opened a single eye and watched the boy's reaction. "Come on, Masbolle, tell me already."

"All right, Myles."

After a shockingly detailed and intricate description of the hazing he had suffered, Eleni had to say that even she was shocked by what Pier had grown capable of. Surely Kyle had to be exaggerating, but a part of her knew that the boy was honest to a fault. Every word out of his mouth was the truth, and it scared her.

Pierina of Stone Mountain had become even more of a monster, and she had developed a taste for blood.

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Did we enjoy that? I promise that the details of poor Kyle's suffering will be revealed later, but know that it was just awful. Remember that your reviews inspire me, and that I appreciate every single one!**


	47. Damning the Chick

**This chapter is for all of my old fans that are still with me and for the new readers that I have picked up. I owe my inspiration to all the readers that never gave up on Eleni!**

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Two days passed until the other pages started to trickle into the hall. Schuylar was the first of Eleni's friends to return, much to Kyle's delight. Apperantly they had formed a really solid friendship during the trip back to the Corus.

_At least,_ Eleni thought with a smirk,_ it means that he won't cling to my side for the entirety of the year._

After Schuylar's arrival, there was a blur of activity, with numerous pages returning to the palace at the same time. By midday of Eleni's third day back in the Palace all of her friends had returned from their home fiefs. The reunion was joyious and rowdy, and when it spiraled out of control and became too loud for Lokejo, they sought out a new gathering place.

Slowly, the group unconsciously gathered in their old den of mischief, but it felt hollow with members of their pack missing. Without Herne and Perci, there was a void, and they still didn't know how to fill it. They settled for chatting quietly about the separate adventures during the summer, none being too interesting.

Kyle certainly made an effort to make up for the lack of exciting conversation on the part of the older pages, but it only served as a contrast to the intelligent wit that Perci would have displayed. Also heavy on their minds was the tragedy of the summer trip. None of them had forgotten the very real death of Artan of Bjorn.

There was a heavy pause that night, when the light was seen behind Artan's door. Earlier that day, Lord Padraig had admitted a boy from Haryse into the training program. A small and timid boy, he was further intimidated by the looks he received from the older pages when he left his room that evening.

It was odd for many of them to see the small boy come out of a room that had once housed the giant that had been Artan. By the time all of them had returned to their own home fiefs, the palace maids had already disappeared all traces of Artan's inhabitance. It was normal to clean out the rooms had been vacated, but that usually only occurred when a page had become a squire. Death during the page years was unheard of.

There was a page among the crowd that looked ready to rip the boy to shreds. Pier, in yet another flattering gown, was practically growling at the boy. Alex had dealt with Artan's death in his own ways, but Pier had trouble coming to terms with the loss of her guard dog. She wasn't grieving for her old friend; she was annoyed that she would have to mold a new attack dog.

His large brown eyes misted over almost immediately when he saw how Pier was watching him and it appeared to Eleni that the boy was going to cry. Lord Padraig must have thought the same thing, because he quickly cleared his throat to call attention to himself.

However, by the way that he puffed out his chest and tried to strut in front of the pages, Eleni quickly recanted her rare good opinion of the training master.

_The old fool just wanted all the attention on him_, she thought scathingly. She couldn't help scoffing at his insatiatable pride, "Peacock."

Schuylar heard her and failed to stifle his laughter behind a cough.

"Something amuses you, Nicoline?" Lord Padraig did not enjoy having his moment stolen.

"Peacock," Eleni coughed out again.

It only made Schuylar laugh harder. The crow blood in her veins was enjoying this too much to stop. Although Schuylar had a history with Padraig, this was too great of an opportunity to pass up. How many times could she embarrass Padraig before he had a chance to 'impress' new pages?

"Three bells of stable clean up, Nicoline." Padraig also had a history of giving out punishment work to Schuylar on a regular basis. "And you as well, Pirate's Swoop."

Letting out a long string of curses she had learned on the docks of Rajmuat, Eleni could only bow her head in shame. She'd been caught and now had to spend her Saturday morning in the stables. It was a lovely way to begin the year.

A duet of "Yes, sir" was heard, and Padraig was content enough to properly begin his yearly speech about the responsibilities of a true and noble knight of the realm.

"…and the most important duty of a knight is to care for those who are unable to defend themselves, the elderly, the weak, womenfolk, the likes of which could never stand a chance against villainy."

A second curse escaped the glowering redhead. The man would never let up on his assail on female warriors. There were a few women she'd like to lock him up with, knowing that they would teach him a lesson he would never forget.

_I can only dream, _she thought with a sigh.

"A problem, Pirate's Swoop?" Padraig's hearing seemed to have improved over the summer, the old man would never of heard her before.

"Damn it."

"What was that? You want to volunteer your services at the stables for eight hours instead of three?" He had also grown more sadistic. "Wonderful! I'm positive that the stable hands will appreciate your help."

There was an odd twickle in his left eye as he sentenced her. Eleni had seen that small light in the eye of a divine acquaintance, and it unnerved her that he would start mischief so early. Kyprioth coming to her never meant good news. It usually meant disaster for her and her alone.

After the two new pages had been 'chosen' by sponsors, they were all dismissed until supper. Eleni didn't bother to move, she knew what was coming. She mentally counted down the seconds.

At five, she heard the summons.

"Pirate's Swoop," he called, trying to be inconspicuous. Kyprioth was never too subtle. "A word in private, if you will." As if she had any real choice in the matter.

She followed the wicked Trickster to Padraig's office. His presence never preceded anything pleasant, and Eleni could see how this time good be different. Asking the gods for help would have normally helped anyone else, but the gods usually ignored her plees for help and sent Kyprioth.

It was strange to see Padraig grinning like an idiot at a cardtable. It didn't suit his features at all, and now Eleni understood why the old man didn't smile as often as a normal person.

Eleni didn't bother to sit down when she was offered a seat. What was the point of even pretending that the man before her was really her training master? The Trickster wanted to play with her, but she wasn't in the mood, not now. When Kyprioth left Padraig's body, she would still have twelve hours worth of stable work. She didn't enjoy his pranks as much as he did.

"Not going to sit?" The smile was making her uncomfortable now. It was more than odd, it was unsettling.

"Why should I?" she shot back. "Just tell me what you want already, idiot. I've never felt as if anything you've ever said has any true value."

When the words left her mouth, she regretted them instantly. _Damn him!_

"Trust me," he said, the smirk slowly easing off his mouth and transforming into a twisted scowl. Gone was the Trickster god, and Eleni was left with a disaster before her.

Padraig decided that Myles would have more than a few weeks of stable duty for this one. Insulting a superior was not something a future knight did, especially if that susperior was their commanding officer. Eleni had never known that a person could turn such an awful shade of puce. Three months of 'volunteer' work mucking out the stables. It would serve to humble the overinflated ego of Pirate's Swoop.

The man was a sadist, but Eleni was not at war with him. Her enemy was Kyprioth, and Eleni vowed to get back at him for every injury sent her way. There was no useful purpose behind his actions this time, and she had done nothing to incite him.

A small voice whispered otherwise in her head. _Do not initiate trouble, nestling. I am a master of the craft, and trust me when I say that it can burn you. _Even though it was only his voice in her head, Eleni knew that the Crooked God was smiling down on her. It was not a benevolent smile.

"Trust you, indeed," she muttered miserably.

Eleni started her miserable walk to the dining hall, hoping she wasn't late and gave Padraig another excuse to punish her further. Her friends would not be amused. There would be more than one lecture from the more 'mature' members of the group, and was already cringing at the thought.

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I love how Kyprioth screws with Eleni. I'm betting that she'll be less than sane by the time she gets her shield. I could be kinder to her, but that would make Kyprioth sad... Tell me what you think so far, I 3 detailed reviews! **


	48. Suppressing the Blade

**Written especially for my loyal readers. Thank you, for the support.**

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Needles to say, Eleni's friends were not amused at her months of punishment work. When questioned about the reason, she couldn't be entirely honest. Telling her friends about Kyprioth's interest in a small page would cause more problems than it would solve. She had no choice but to lie and say that she had insulted Padraig, which, technically, she had.

At a most tedious pace, the weeks crawled by. Weapons practice with Sir Asher and Sir Morven. Their attitudes toward the pages had not changed one bit, and the humiliation continued. At times, Eleni would wonder why Sir Asher treated Pier with deverrence, especially considering his conservative attitudes toward women, but there were few clues to follow.

The Mithran priests hadn't changed either, although, if they had, Eleni would have been shocked. Varick and the older pages had said that they might as well have been made of stone for all the personality they ever showed. Still, any sign of emotion beneath their stoney exteriors would have gone far.

The one person in the palace who had changed was Master Radzimierz. When they had once had a failure of a magician teaching them, there stood a humbled man. Gone were his overly lavish clothes and his shining blonde hair. Clearly, Kyprioth had been troubling more than one poor fool. However, this was an unwelcomed change; at least the pages had been entertained by his appearance and idiocy. This new meek idiot bored the pages to the same level as the other lectures.

When Eleni's first Saturday of so-called volunteer service at the stables arrived, Lokejo had to force her out of bed. She had vowed to not appear at all, claiming that Kyprioth had gotten her in trouble and could do the punishment work for her. Almost forcefully, Lokejo managed to get Eleni out of bed and dressed. Short of dragging her to the stables, there was little more he could do.

The work itself wasn't the difficult part. Listening to a young stable hand proved to be her undoing. Teman Stieber, a young man of seventeen, had to be the most annoying person that Eleni had ever met, including Kyprioth and Schuylar. He was a bumbling idiot who could sense when his jokes made people feel uncomfortable or when they were going out of their way to avoid him.

When he first appeared at the stable around midafternoon, the older hands vanished, claiming other duties. Eleni didn't have the luxury of abandoning the stables; she was bound to the building until the sixth afternoon bell. More than once, she eyed the ropes in the stable, wondering if she could hang herself from beams without anyone stopping her. There was no way that she would survive three months of his blabbering.

If there was a way to kill a god, Eleni swore to figure it out. Kyprioth would pay her back tenfold.

However, although he was still annoying, Teman came to grow on Eleni as the weeks crawled by. She learned that he was slightly Gifted, the only reason he had been hired, and that he hoped to always serve the palace stables. He was loyal to his friends, and he considered Eleni to be one. He ofter thanked her for not abandoning him like the other did, as if Eleni had ever had a choice in the matter.

One thing did change was Alexander's attitude towards the other pages. Usually one to ignore the others, a preemptive strike to their detestation, something had changed over the summer. He no longer followed Pier's every order, he fought back, and publicly too. Eleni had felt an unexpected surge of pride at the sight of their most physical argument.

With the winter snows assailing and surrounding the palace, the pages had been restricted to indoor practice. Trapped as they were, it was only a matter of time before they developed cabin fever. Pier had heard enough of Alex's backtalk and challenged him a midnight duel in the regular practice yard. If they were caught, it would mean more than a few weeks of punishment work for each of them.

Although, it meant that they'd be punished, a few of the pages had snuck out as well to watch. For as long as any of them could remember, Alex had been at Pier's beck and call. Something had snapped in the young Tirragen lord.

Eleni barely caught the end of the duel, it had happened so quickly. She had been forced to wait until Lokejo had fallen asleep that night, because she knew that he would scold her for being reckless. It was true that she already had plenty of punishment work, but a part of her felt that she had to be there. Something was calling her to the yard. Try as she might, there was no way to ignore the feeling, and as the minutes went by, the more she felt that she had to be there.

She was not disappointed.

As she was running to the yard, she could still hear metal striking metal, and not too softly. They were striking to draw blood, no doubt about it. The very thought of what she would find made her touch her own sword for reassurance. She didn't know why it had been the first thing she had grabbed on her way out of her room, but she had felt as if it would be needed.

Rounding the last corner, the bitter wind blew at her exposed face, and she gave thanks that she had remembered to at least wear a warm cloak. Drawing the cloak tighter about her small body, Eleni's hands suddently went slack. The clash of swords had been replaced by dulled murmurs.

The scene before her should have been witnessed by more than the five curious pages who had gathered to watch. There, on her knees before Alexander of Tirragen, lay Pierina of Stone Mountain, the girl their instructors claimed to be invisible when armed with a sword. If they could only have seen what Eleni was seeing, they would have swallowed their past praise of the female page.

Swordpoint pressed against Pier's throat, Alex was speaking, but the wind was carrying away the words. When he turned his back on her and started to walk away, Eleni was inspired to walk forward. The inspiration must have come from some higher power, because it was definitely well placed.

Eleni's sword was in her hand and parrying Pier's. Without recalling how she had gotten there, Eleni was standing between Pier's blade and Alexander's back. Her frail body was the only thing shielding him from a vicious and crippling wound.

As Alex turned to see exactly what had occurred behind him, torchlight became visible from the nearest doors and shouting was heard. Apperantly, the wind had carried the noise of the duel to the ears of the palace guards. There was little time to eproach Pier's actions, before the guards were upon the three pages in the middle of the yard.

Their viewers had vanished long before, though, they were loath to leave the oncoming three-way battle. Thoughts of things that might have been would keep them awake all night, and chatting all morning. Indeed, the next morning proved tiring for Eleni, not the least because of her lack of adequate sleep.

Easily the guiltiest looking one among the three, Eleni received the brunt of the punishment. She had been the only page openly wielding a sword, Pier's having been sheathed before the guards could see it. Eleni had cursed her poor luck and the seething girl, but did not regret her actions. Truth be told, she was partly glad that he guards had arrived when they did. Eleni did not believe that she could have beaten Pier with a sword, not just yet anyway.

Padraig had not been pleased when a guard had woken him in the middle of the night, least of all when it was because of Eleni and Alexander. His hatred for both pages insured a long and degrading punishment. Pierina had been conviniently given the lightest punishment, because Padraig had thought it enough physical labor for a female page.

Though she had never thought that she would be jealous of such a sexist declaration, she still admitted that she would have preferred a lighter sentence. The only consolation was that Alex would share her punishment for two weeks, although Eleni had earned enough hours of punishment to last her until the examinations in the spring. The only good thing about the shared punishment is that it served as enough time for the two pages to reach a new level of understanding.

With much difficulty, Alex had thanked Myles for stepping in to parry the blow that he never saw. In time, the words that Alexander of Tirragen spoke to the Lioness' grandson lost their biting edge, and acquired a friendlier tone. Few believed him or his words to be genuine, but something inside of Eleni wanted to believe that that change would last.

At twelve years of age, Eleni Crow was wise enough to confess that she had formed a crush of the older page, even if the confession was only to herself.

There was an inking of what rumors would be circulated if it appeared that Myles of Pirate's Swoop had developed a romance with Alexander. Trusted or not, the palace staff was not known for being discreet about anything that appeared interesting.

Soon, Eleni lamented her choice to come to Tortall disguised as a boy.

It made everything more difficult. And she didn't like it.

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Believe it or not, ladies and gents, I have just flown through the majority of her second year. I really want to get to the fun parts. The following chapters will have us moving through a bit of developing friendships and quite a bit of heartbreak. It should be positively wonderful! As always, review make my fingers type faster and my brain plot.**


	49. Inciting the Tempers

**For R0KI, who made my day with their review, and all those who added and review the story. I keep it up for you.**

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In the weeks following the January duel and Eleni's budding crush, it seemed that the palace begant o work itself into a frenzy. Almost without reason, the maids started to whisper among themselves, and for the first time in weeks, it was not about Myles and Alex. Something else had gripped their attention, and it made the pages curious.

When the first day of February dawned, Eleni was awakened by an explosion. The sound was deafening, and Eleni could only hear bells for a moment. Dust settled over still body as shouting reached her from other wings of the palace. Something was most certainly not right.

Jumping out of her bed, she reached for her sword and quickly strode to her door. It was only because of Lokejo that Eleni did not expose her secrets. Dressed only in a night shirt, Eleni was cleatly female, displaying the small curves that had begun to develop.

A firm hand on her shoulder held her back. "Perhaps," he spoke into her ear. "More clothing would be advisable?" It was difficult whenever such moments arose for him to remind her, but it was out of necessity. "Even knights arm themselves before battle." His warnings were not needed.

Eleni, eager to find the cause of the explosion, wasted no time arguing and had already begun to dress. There was no point in being fully dressed, and she quickly wrapped her bindings around her chest. Once she was sufficiently covered, she wordlessly ran out.

This time, Lokejo didn't stop her. He didn't follow her either. Listening to the smack of bare feet on stone, he sighed at the thought of his nestling. Whatever it was that had disturbed the palace so early in the morning had clearly woken the entire populace. Eleni would not be alone in battle, and besides, he could not watch over her forever.

Eleni narrowing missed colliding with Schuylar as she turned a corner, intent on reaching the stairs at the end of the pages' hall. The explosion had come from the floor above, meaning it was nearer to their classrooms. Even without any type of deductive reasoning, they would have easily found the source.

There were already guards amassed at the staircase, blocking passage to the floor.

Screaming could still be heard from above, but it was now from a single source. The faintly feminine voice was familiar, and Eleni strained her ears to identify it: Master Radzimierz. The idiot would have done something like this.

Though they were told to return to their wing, the pages did not leave until odered by Padraig. Standing at the top of the staircase, he barked threats. As tired as he sounded, none of the pages wanted to test him, and Eleni couldn't afford to get into further trouble. They disbanded slowly, still curious about what had happened.

"I always said the man was an idiot," Devin said from Eleni's right. "A right moron, if you ask me. I never did understand why they let him teach us."

"No one ever asked for your opinion on our instructors." Varick was a few feet ahead, leading the way back to their rooms. "Leave it to Padraig and the palace guards, it's not our problem."

Now that they were not running toward possible danger, the pages had realized just how early it was and how tired they were. Their beds were very appealing.

"Not our problem?" Kyle squeaked as he ran to catch up with Schuylar. "We were almost blown up!" Ever since the attack at Legann during the summer trip and the beatings he suffered from Pier, Kyle had been skittish about things. "It sounded like Yamani powder! Do you know what that can do to a person?"

"A castle?" Schuylar added.

"An enti-" Kyle was lightly tapped over the head.

"Hush." Eleni, adrenaline leaving her body, was quickly becoming cranky. "We all know what it can do, we pay attention in out classes just as much as you do."

Her friends let out tired chuckles at her reaction to the easily excited child. Kyle had proven to be just as dramatic and energetic as Schuylar, and at times Myles was known to lose his patience when forced to listen to both. She laughed, too, but not at the same thing as her friends.

Eleni quietly thanked the gods for Lokejo, because he had saved her from ridicule tonight. The last one to leave the foot of the stairs was Pier, who was being followed and lectured by a matronly lady. Though she could not hear what was being said, Eleni knew that Pier was being scolded. The fourth-year page had left her room in nothing but a nightgown, catching the eye of more than one man. The older woman was attempting to cover up Pier with a robe, inciting the young woman even more than the stares.

"Leave me alone or else I will run you through with my blade, you damnable creature!"

Too shocked to move, the lady didn't stop her half-naked charge from running to her room. More than one jaw dropped as the young woman ran by in such a state of undress.

The outburst had caused all movement in the hall to cease. Few could recall a time when the girl had been anything but reserved and calculating. Nowadays, her cold exterior was failing her more often than not, and that was decidedly not normal. Pier had started to slip ever since her duel with Alex, and she showed few signs of regaining control over herself.

Eleni felt someone come up behind her, but she didn't feel threathened, having become used to such noiseless movement. "She's her late husband's sister," Alex whispered in her ear, knowing that she was curious. "There are four sisters in total, and they all felt that Pier should be properly supervised." He chuckled from behind her, and Eleni felt herself heat up. "It would appear that they are most displeased with her displays."

It the weeks that had followed their joint punishment, the two pages had formed an easy friendship. Alex had been slowly integrated into the group, though the older pages kept wary. Varick was the most distrustful of Alex, but it was not without reason. He had spent more than two years watching Alex obey every one of Pier's demands, and he did not believe that the boy had changed so quickly.

Kyle and Schuylar had been more willing to accept Alex, eager to have such capable swordsman to help them with their sword skills. Simon and Warren were mostly indifferent, but watchful. One wrong move and they would eliminate Alex. Together, the two were skilled enough to stop anything that the smaller page might scheme.

"Why are we still standing about?" Kyle, with his innocent nature had missed the magnitude of Pier's exhibition. Blushing from embarrassment, the poor boy had averted his eyes and kept his head down. "Can I go back to bed now?" Eleni laughed at his request for permission, amazed at him once more.

"Yes, Kyle," she said. "I think that it's about time that we all head to bed."

"Myles is right," Alex told him, an arm around the younger boy's shoulders. Having always wanted a younger brother, Alex had risen to the task of entertaining Kyle whenever Eleni grew tired of his boundless energy. "Come on, off to bed, now. I'm sure that we'll all be informed at more decent hours."

Murmuring in agreement, and too tired to do much else, they each heading off to separate rooms. Each was intent on finding a warm bed and sleeping away the few hours until breakfast.

Awakened by an explosion for the second time that day, Eleni didn't bother to bolt from her bed a second time. If Radzimierz had blown up a section of the palace through some show of absurdity, she would not leave her bed until summoned by the war horn. Eleni did not expect them to sound, but they did.

For the second time in the last couple of hours, she was pulled from her bed. This time she rememebered to dress without Lokejo reminding her, and was out of her room before her friends. Half of her want to run Radzimierz through with her blade, even if it meant her own execution.

She had grown tired the fop, regardless of Kyprioth's warnings to let the mage be. To Eleni, he was a fool, and he had outgrown his limited usefulness. As she neared his door, acrid smoke reached her sensitive nose, choking her lungs. Whatever the idiot had destroyed, it had been reduced to nothing more than charcoal. When she reached for the handle of the door, it was thrown open.

In front of Eleni was one of the tallest men she had ever seen, and she had spent her entire life under Lokejo's watchful gaze. At six and a half feet the man towered over the small girl, and would have missed her had he not knocked her down as he tried to escape the smoke.

"What is the world?" he wondered as he looked around. On the stone floor before him was Eleni, completely in awe of the man. "Oh, hello, have we met?"

Eleni didn't get a chance to answer him. Radzimierz ran out the room, lamenting his soot-covered clothes and the stench that clung to them. Sputtering and coughing, he never stopped trying to fix the condition of his ruined clothing.

_Serves him right, _Eleni thought as she stood. _The gods-cursed moron is going to kill us all one day._

Stopping long enough to notice the angery redhead, Radzimierz looked at her quizzically. "Anything that you needed, Pirate's Swoop?" Aloof as ever, Eleni wished that she could impale her sword in his abdomen, but knew that she wouldn't. There was a witness, after all.

"Pirate's Swoop, huh?" A beautiful woman said from the end of the hallway. "Alanna told us that we would find you here, Myles."

"Ah, magelet, did we wake you?"

Eleni watched in amazement as the lanky man made his way to the much shorter woman and gave her a kiss. "Did we disturb your sleep, darling?"

Deafeated by sheer idiocy and obliviousness, Eleni cursed the day she had decided to come to Tortall. Here, she was surrounded by idiots, not one of them aware of anything. They had disturbed her sleep, all right, and the entire castle to boot.

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**Anyone want to guess what was making Radzimierz so jumpy? The man is too easy to use that it's almost sad.**

**I planned to get further than this on this chapter, but felt that it was necessary to the plot and my style of writing to include the end. I hope that you guys don't feel like I'm adding filler. I promise that it is all vital to the plot! **


	50. Embittering the Woman

**For everyone who has read, reviewed, and/or added the story! I keep this steamroller going for you.**

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"And that concludes my summary of the survey of magical historical recordings in Galla. Any questions?"

If Eleni had ever doubted the possibility of dying of boredom, she now believed it completely possible. Numair Salmalin had spent the last week as a guest lecturer in all of their academic lessons, regaling them with all of the intricacies of his recent expedition in Galla.

Schuylar was fascinated, Eleni not as much. There were moments when it seemed as if the old Eleni and Schuylar were at odds again, ready to gouge each others eyes out. If Eleni had to listen to one more recitation of Master Salmalin's lectures, she was going to throw herself off the outer battlements. He was making her go mad! In fact, since the moment she had met the man, she had found him to be nothing but peculiar and unaware of everything around him.

It didn't help matters that he was Master Radzimierz's own personal idol. He had received news months ago that Master Salmalin would be returning to Corus soon, and so had thrown himself into 'research'. It helped to explain his lack of concern for anything else throughout the year. One of his 'experiments' had caused the explosion, and Master Salmalin's adjustments to the experiment had caused the second explosion.

"I have a question, Master Salmalin." Eleni couldn't even gather the energy to glare at her eager friend. For the eighth time that day, she regretted that swords were not allowed in the classrooms.

_I'm going to skewer Schuylar one day,_ she thought mercilessly.

Knowing that the gangly man would derail more than enough times in his explanations, Eleni nestled her head on her arms and tried her best to look alert. The last page that had fallen asleep during one of Master Salmalin's lectures had gotten his tunic set on fire. Eleni had no wish to be turned into kindling.

As her minded floated off, her eyes roamed the room. Only a handful of pages genuinely cared about what the mage had to say, but he didn't seem to notice the waning interest. He didn't seem to notice much at all in Eleni's opinion.

When they were finally released, and then only by the good graces of the palace bell, Eleni bolted from her chair. She didn't get far before she was called back.

"Myles," Master Salmalin called out. "Please, do stay for a moment." It wasn't as if she had much of a say in the matter. The mage had spelled her to the spot she stood, unable to move a muscle. When she didn't walk over to him, he finally looked up. "Oh, dear," he mumbled. "I do apologize, my boy. You see…"

He continued to babble on, already forgetting Eleni and her problem. Had it been possible, she would have reminded him, but the spell had stilled all of her, even her mouth. Eleni was frozen until he remembered. Praying began to look like a useful option at the moment.

"But, oh, I've done it again!"

_Finally,_ she thought, more than a little irritated.

Free of the spell, Eleni stretched out her aching muscles. She had been stuck in rather uncomfortable pose for more than five minutes, waiting the whole for Master Salmalin to remember her. She really hoped that he would get to the point soon.

"You wanted something from me, Master Salmalin?" Trying to be respectful, Eleni readied herself for what was sure to be a scattered and one-sided conversation. "I'm afraid that I have homework to get to."

"Right, of course!" He seemed so keen to begin, but never actually did. Eleni saw herself standing there for the entire evening. She couldn't afford to be rude, but she was losing patience quickly. "Now," he finally began. "I was asked by your grandmother to educate you a bit on crows."

Eleni tilted her head to the side in confusion. Crows? There wasn't much more that she could learn about them, seeing that she was half crow and could shapeshift into one at will.

"Err, sir, I'm afraid tha-"

"I know already, of course, about the particulars of what Alanna meant, but I wouldn't mind getting more information from you, and…"

Once more, Eleni's eyes glazed over as they had for the last week. There was just something about Master Salmalin's voice that slowly lulled her to sleep. No matter what she tried, it was always the same. Although, Eleni had to admit that she never made much of an effort to listen.

"And my wife will be helping as well."

"I beg your pardon?" She hadn't caught much of the speech, even when she had tried to pay attention. "I still don't understand."

"There you are!"

Veralidaine Salmalin had a way of finding her husband whenever he got into trouble. She also had a way of rescuing people from his long-winded and elaborate explanations. Her pretty greys eyes were laughing at the familiar situation. At least someone found it funny, because Eleni was out of patience.

"Mistress Salmalin, if you could tell me whatever it is that you and Master Salmalin want, I would be more than happy to help." _Anything to get me away from this moron! No wonder Radzimierz thinks he's brilliant, he's worse than him. He's making me lose my mind!_

"Just Daine will be fine, Myles. And as for what we want, Alanna asked us to help you get acquainted with the world outside of the palace." Daine was also gifted with the ability to simply state what would take her husband an eulogy to say.

"Begging your pardon, Mi- Daine, but I've already been down to the city and the Royal Forest is not new to me either."

"But have you seen it all and what lies beyond?" she asked gently. "From the sky?"

That caught her attention. Eleni knew that with the warm weather coming, Lokejo would let her out again, but there were limits to how far she could go. If she was being escorted beyond the walls and the city, then Lokejo could not complain about safety and other trivialities. There was only one problem stopping her.

Whenever Eleni transformed, her clothes were left behind. There would be no hiding her true shape from these two. Well, maybe she could hide the truth from Master Salmalin, but his wife was much more observant. It would be too much of a risk to take.

It hurt her to sya it, but Eleni had to reject the offer. It was yet another luxury that she had to forfeit. This charade was becoming less enjoyable as time passed. There were more and more things that she had to give up in order to keep up the pretense of being a boy.

"I'm afraid that I'll have to decline your kind offer, Daine."

Without an expalination, Eleni briskly walked away from the baffled pair. Alanna had told them that Myles would have loved the freedom that such an opportunity would have presented. Perhaps she had been mistaken.

Lokejo knew better than to question his charge when she stormed into her room. He'd borne witness to such temper tantrums in the past and knew that it was simply better to wait them out. His nestling was alike a passing storm. Sometimes it was just best to bunker down and buckle down. There was no changing her mind once it was made up.

For days Lokejo watched her eyes dim, and then he would hear her sigh in despair. Although he guessed that it had something to do with her winter confinement, he had already guessed that ther was another underlying cause for the melancholy. His little girl might have been moody, but she wasn't unreasonable.

Eleni wished every day that she could find the courage to walk up to Padraig and confess. Instantly, she shot down those dreams. There were many things that Lord Padraig was, but accepting was not one of them. The realization of her initial mistake embittered her, and it showed.

Her sour disposition had been enough of a warning to the other to stay away. Only Schuylar and Kyle remained at her side, although, it was only through sheer stupidity and stubbornness. Alex stayed as well, of course, but for a different reason. Having spent half of his training tolerating Pier's poor temper, Myles' momentary sulking was only a minor annoyance to him. The others called them mad and left them to their fates. Eleni was grateful to her older and wiser friends, and wished that they could impart some wisdom on her more mulish companions.

_As if wishing has gotten me anything so far,_ she though sullenly. _It hasn't fixed any of my problems and it won't._

Fate proved her wrong as the weather warmed. Lokejo was grateful to the gods that the spring had come so swiftly. He was getting tired of the chick's angry grumbling. Even he was tiring of the girl's dwindling temper. More than happy to do so, he gave his permission for her to leave the stone structure for the skies above.

Free to return to cool air of Tortall, Eleni took wing on the last morning of March. Not even bothering to circle over the palace, she heading north for the forest. She needed to think, away from well meaning busybodies.

In her haste to leave the prison, she left her window opened and never noticed the pair of eyes that watched her.

_That's right Pirate's Swoop, fly away. Fly right into my line of sight, bitch. Soon enough, Pirate's Swoop, I'll have your little body bleeding in front of me._

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**Any guesses as to who the person was? Huh? I'm so happy that I finally got to this point. Yay! As always, reviews inspire me to work faster and to come up with new material.**


	51. Losing the Battle

**For silver cat 777, the 300th reviewer for this story. I can't believe it, but numbers don't lie. Thank you everyone who read and reviewed!**

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May was nearing and Eleni's temperament had barely improved. Even with her extended flights to the forests beyond the palace, there was longing in her heart to go further on her black wings. Anyone could simply ride a horse and go through the forest, but she wanted to do more than that. There was a life that she could experience if she stayed in the forest, if she could just disappear into the woods and forget about Tortall and knighthood.

There was no way out of the damn situation, however. Eleni had made a choice, and she was too stubborn to change her mind after two years. She was also afraid, afraid of what her friends would say when they found out the truth.

_Things were supposed to be easier this way,_ she growled in her mind. _Being a boy was supposed to make the whole process easier. Damn it all._ She couldn't help the pained cries that escaped her beak.

Having spent the last few hours hidden in a tree, she hadn't realized that the sun had already begun to set. Without being aware of it, Elenio had spent her entire weekend in the forest. She returned at meal times and left after every meal. Lokejo had excused her whenever someone called on her, but ut was becoming increasingly difficult to do so. A part of her, buried behind her anger, knew that she had to head back to the palace, but it was being smothered.

Eleni was not happy. She was being forced to reconsider all of her choices up to now, and she wasn't happy with what she found. There were plenty of 'ifs' in the whole matter and it was making her head hurt. Would anything have been the same if she had arrived as a girl? There would never be a way to tell.

Heaving a sigh and ruffling her feathers, she flew back towards the palace. Eleni had lessons tomorrow, and it wouldn't do to anfer her teachers any more than she already had. Her anger had seeped into her day-to-day activities, and had begun to alienate people.

It might not have mattered to her at that very moment, but Eleni was trying to keep everything from spiraling out of control.

_It's just a phase,_ she chanted to herself. _I'll get over it soon and focus on what's truly important._

Her tiny heart skipped a beat as she saw the out battlements. This palace, this country was what she wanted to protect. The people inside depended on knights like the Lioness to shield them from danger and acting like a spoiled child was not going to lead to a knighting ceremony.

The thought of the ceremony was enough to sober up the young girl. Young or not, certain thigns were expected of her, and she had been shirking her responsibilities. Eleni Crow would prove to everyone that she was just as exceptional as her grandmother. Nothing would stop her.

Slowly, things returned to normal. Her friends didn't ask questions, understanding that there was a lot asked of each of them, and that they each dealt with their problems in their own way. Alex was the most understanding of Myles' plight.

"It must be difficult," he told her one day. They had finished a rather arduous practice session and neither was too keen to get up. Schuylar had fallen asleep while sitting up, and it appeared that Myles was heading in the same direction.

"Was is?" she managed to mumble through a yawn. It had been refreshing to be with her friends again, to just be Myles of Pirate's Swoop and to ignore the new rebellious thoughts that had sprung up.

"Being the Lioness' grandson."

It was anything but a simple question. There were things that people had always hinted at, about Alanna and the late Alexander of Tirragen. Events had occurred that Eleni had never heard the details of, and it was moments like this that had anxiety bubbling in her chest. The tone Alex used wasn't accusatory, but it was bitter, and Eleni didn't know why.

"At times, I suppose." The chirping of birds above was the only noise disturbing them. Soemwhere beyond the pages' training yard, others were practicing their own skills in another yard. "It's only troublesome if I listen to the rumors."

There were always rumors. Nobles always had something to whisper to each other when they caught sight of her red hair and violet eyes. None of it was every pleasant or complimentary. Whispers and rumors would always follow her, and Eleni had learned to ignore them long ago. Besides, if there weren't whispers about her grandmother in Tortall, there was always gossip in the Copper Isles about her parents. It was unavoidable, but Eleni didn't have to acknowledge the people spreading the vile gossipmongers.

"I know how you feel," he murmured. "You were really upset these last few weeks and I just – well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here." Despite knowing better than to befriend the tiny redhead, Alex found himself drawn to the boy. They were both bound to the legacy of their families, but as different as those legacies were, both of them were constantly scrutinized for errors.

Eleni didn't know whether she wanted to punch him or not. She had been trying to forget about her little crush, to remind herself of the shield that she wanted, and he was chipping away at her resolve. Of course, he was only trying to comfort a friend, a male friend she had to remind herself, but her emotions were getting the best of her.

"Thank you." It was all she dared to say, fearing that she would say or do something stupid. "Let's wake up Schuylar and get ready for supper."

Alex took one look at Schuylar's passed out form. "I believe that endeavor will require both of us, Myles."

The day before the examinations, Eleni was wandering the palace, searching for Kyle. Although he normally sought her out like a duckling looking or its mother, Eleni hadn't seen or heard of the boy since supper the night before. It was unsettling and Eleni had been plagued by a premonition the whole day. Soemthing was wrong, but she didn't know what.

None of her friends knew where he had gone to, but brushed it off as last minute nerves. Kyle had proved himself capable throughout the whole year; yet, it was only normal to feel nervous before the examinations. At the end of the day, Kyle had still not appeared. He had missed supper and Eleni left early, hoping to find him holed up in his room. If he wasn't there, she didn't know where to find him.

However, before she made it to his door, Eleni saw a note nailed to her door, with a dagger. Without even reading the note, she knew it was about Kyle. Ripping the dagger out of the door, Eleni didn't bother to notice her bleeding hand.

In her blind rage she had knicked all five fingers on her right hand. She also didn't notice her blood staining the parchment. All she could see were the words on the sheet.

_I know what you are. Birdy, if you expect to see the runt alive and intact, you'll do as I say. The archery range in the Royal Forest. Tomorrow. Noon. If you do not appear, I will just gut the boy and leave him for the crows._

The noise from the returning pages jolted her back to the present. Whoever had taken Kyle knew about her crow blood. Maybe they didn't know all of the details about her lies, but knowing just one of them and kidnapping Kyle was enough.

Eleni would show up tomorrow and take back Kyle. He was her responsibility and she wasn't about to let some mysterious captor get away with murder.

The only problem would be to get away without Lokejo or the others insisting on going too. She wouldn't risk Kyle's life when she knew that she could defeat whoever had taken him.

_Whoever did this will pay_, she thought viciously._ I won't let someone just take what is mine and destroy it._

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**And we finally get to some action. I promised that we would get somewhere and it'll be soon.**


	52. Ignoring the Warnings

**I could apologize for the waiting time, or let you get to it. Here you are, boys and girls.**

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The morning came, and with it came wave after wave of ideas. Eleni had spent the night feighning sleep, trying to think without having Lokejo hovering over her. She didn't want to lie to her friend, so she avoided his curious and scrutinious eyes altogether.

Pride kept her from going to anyone for help, although, the thought had crossed her mind more than once. This was her battle to fight. There was also the horrible possibility that someone else would miss their examination. Eleni was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to recover Kyle, but she would never ask the same of anyone else.

Asking Lokejo crossed mind sometime after midnight, but that idea was brushed aside with determined finality. The note had said to meet at the forest archery grounds. From their unknown vantage point, whoever had taken Kyle would see her and company coming from far away. That would give them enough time to carry out their threat.

Eleni had seen one page die already. To have witnessed death, knowing that the Black God had itched to take her too, had unnerved her a bit. There was no way that she would be the direct cause of another page's demise. She wouldn't be able to carry that on her conscience.

Rising without any help, Eleni made her gave to her washroom. Dumping a washbin of cold water over herself helped steel her for what was to come. She'd have to lie to over a dozen people, but Eleni wasn't exactly a stranger to lying.

Breakfast was an awkward affair. Try as she might, Eleni couldn't focus on the conversation at the table, her eyes too busy wandering the dining hall, searching for a guilty face. Most of the pages were making an effort to eat before their exams, some openly nervous and others doing a better job at hiding their anticipation. Shakinf her head softly, Eleni berated herself for thinking that one of the pages had kidnapped Kyle. They were all much too young to be capable of something so heinous.

If her friends noticed anything off about her behavior, they attributed it to nerves and ignored it. They were all a little off this morning. It wasn't until Varick asked about Kyle that Eleni paid attention to what was being said.

"Has anyone seen him at all?"

Eleni was quick to excuse his absence, "I saw him last night. Said that he was nervous, but that he'd show up." It wouldn't do to have their suspicions aroused and make it look like she'd told someone of his kidnapping.

The boys looked worried, but didn't question her. After all, when had Myles lied to them? No, their friend was completely honest with them, incapable of telling a fib.

_Mithros curse it all_, she thought crossly.

Claiming that she was going to get Kyle for the examinations, Eleni waited until her friends had left to run for the stables. If she hurried, Eleni could retrieve Kyle in time for the first year examinations and her own. Heroics and pride aside, Eleni didn't want to repeat a year of training because of some thug.

Luckily for Eleni, the stables were cleared of people. Doing a quick onceover of the stalls, ans convinced that she was alone, she dashed for Candy. Eleni shushed her with a hand, afraid that her whinnying would draw attention. She didn't need an audience as she left the palace gorunds.

Once Candy was saddled and ready, Eleni checked the building again for anyone who could being watching. _I'm being paranoid,_ she told herself. _Stop thinking and get to the damned archery range, Eleni._

With a disgruntled huff, Eleni spurred Candy into a steady canter. No one noticed the small redhead leave the grounds. No one saw her go through the northern gate and away from where Myles of Pirate's Swoop was supposed to be examined.

Not a soul saw her go. Except for a pair of electrum eyes attached to a worried face.

_Where do you think you're going, idiot?_

Candy already knew the way, her legs working tirelessly to get her master to her destination. Lungs working to their limit, Candy worked herself up to a breaking gallop. Eleni's uneasiness was seeping into her bones, her apprehension becoming the horse's. Animal could always feel misfortune before people.

The archery range in the forest was abandoned. The Queen's Riders used it regularly, to practice in an unorthodox arena, but today it was abandoned. Strangely, even the birds had fled from the clearing.

That, more than anything, unsettled Eleni. She'd learned from a young age to heed the warnings of animals. If a bird left its roost, she should do the same. However, today she would have to ignore her instincts.

Come fire or water, Eleni would wait out the person who had taken her young friend.

She didn't have to wait long. Whoever had snatched Kyle was lightfooted, but Eleni could hear them all the same. Slowly and steadily, the light steps made their way toward her.

The whistle of an arrow was the only warning that she got. Eleni hadn't thought to hide from their view and had left herself exposed. The mistake cost her precious blood that had begun to bloom on her left arm. They had missed her heart, but they had received a decent consolation prize.

Her eyes distracted by the wound and her head pounding from the adrenaline rush, Eleni failed to see or hear the attacker's approach. It was her second costly miscalculation.

Fair hair in disarray, Pier of Stone Mountain was upon her with a battle-axe, a weapon that the instructors had tried to dissuade her from and failed to do so.

Reflex alone kept Eleni's head attached to her shoulders, not that she was doing much with her head that the moment. Still distracted by the pain, she hadn't thought to draw her weapon. Bravado dissipated, Eleni was quickly realizing what a fool she had been.

There was too much to think about, and Eleni had to keep relying on reflex to avoid the sharp and thirsty edge of the axe. Fear was slowly crippling her, quickly making its way toward her mind, intent on taking full control.

Eleni's heavy breathing. Pier's grunting efforts. Candy's frightened whinnys. And the terrifying whistling of the axe as it made its descent. The din was enough to deafen the poor girl into submission.

The axe was about to make yet another arc when a new noise entered the fray. The distinct sound of metal on metal broke through her thoughts, jarring her into the moment.

"Stay out of it!" Pier's voice cracked as she ordered the intruder back. The young woman had really begun to unravel. "Now!"

Unaware that the battle was at a momentary stalemate, Eleni stared at the two people before her.

Dissheveled and practically foaming at the mouth, Pier looked nothing like the beautiful girl that she had once appeared to be. Her hair looked like she had been ignoring a mirror for days, and with the way her face looked, Eleni wouldn't have blamed her if it were true. Something had snapped inside of the girl, and, from the looks of it, that something had been all that was holding her together.

In stark contrast, Eleni's savior was a literal white knight. Eyes darkened and body tensed, Alex of Tirragen edged his body into a defensive position in front of his friend. His deft hands wielding his sword, Alex was keeping Pier's axe at bay and away from Eleni. If he had any reservations about dueling his former friend, there was no evidence of it in his demeanor.

Alex had stood on the sidelines before, had watched Pier break men, women, children, and animal into capitulation. He wouldn't let it happen again. Alex of Tirragen would redeem himself and his name, here and now.

He was making a stand. Whether it would be his last, remained to be seen.

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**I am truly sorry about the wait! I fell into a bit of a slump and could type a word. Reviews make me feel loved and inspired!**


	53. Fighting the Battle

**Glad that I didn't bore too many readers with the wait. I know that the last chapter left at least one reader speechless.**

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Alex's interruption provided Eleni with a moment of much needed clarity. Her nimble fingers were wrapped around the hilt of her blade, and she had made a lunge for Pier from beneath Alex's arm.

The two older pages were surprised by the bold move. However, it was short lived. Eleni had not planned beyond her first aggressive attack, and Alex's blade was the only thing that separated the axe from her skull.

"I told you to stay out of it, Tirragen!" Pier's hands were shaking. It could have been because of anger, but Alex was sure that it was because she didn't want to fight him. "Move. Now," she growled out.

Straining under the weight of the battle axe, Alex stood his ground in front of Eleni. It took more effort than he would admit, but he managed to throw back Pier's weapon. She was shocked at his blatant refusal.

"This is ridiculous," he started. Hazarding a quick glance to Eleni, he saw the dark splotch on her shoulder. "I have no idea what sparked this, but this is not the way to resolve anything." His feet acted of their own accord and forced his body to block Eleni completely. "I won't let you hurt him."

A sinister cackle erupted from Pier's once delicate mouth. "You fool! You have no idea what that bastard is," she accused. She continued to deteriorate into her own madness as Alex slowly edged Eleni back.

Eleni didn't fight Alex's extended hand. She was just as eager to escape this battle, if only for different reasons. True, her arm was throbbing in pain, but that was the least of her worries. If Pier kept this up, her secrets would be exposed, and Eleni wasn't even sure which of her many secrets Pier knew. She wasn't willing to risk Alex finding out alongside her.

"When I give the signal, head for your horse," he instructed. His eyes hadn't left Pier, afraid that all she needed was a second of carelessness on his part. "Head back to the palace." Eleni made sound of protest at leaving him behind. "Don't worry, Myles, I'll be right behind you."

He seemed so sure of this. Eleni prayed that the gods would favor them for just one moment. So far, they had turned their back on all three of the pages in the clearing. Maybe, they were due for a change of luck.

"Go!"

Alex hadn't waited to see if Eleni obeyed his command. He didn't turn to look. No, he had other things to worry about, like the enraged page in front of him.

Feinting to the right, Pier tried to get around him. She was unresponsive to the new cut to her arm, uncaring of the blood that began to flow. Pier wanted blood on her axe blade, but not Tirragen blood.

Eleni had almost mounted Candy when she heard the screams. Thinking that either page had been fatally wounded, she turned back to the battle, one foot still on the stirrup. But both of the dueling pages were stilled, curiosity having frozen them in place.

If the sound hadn't come from them, then who else was being attacked? A second scream sounded, and then a third, before the forest was flooded with a discordant symphony of terror and agony.

Ignoring common sense and Alex's earlier command, Eleni fully mounted her horse and rode in the direction of the screams. As she urged Candy into a frantic gallop, other sounds drifted to her ears. It resembled the screech of a blade on grindstone, grating on her sensitive ears.

Above the forest was a flock of creatures, too unnatural to be mortal. Their horse-like bodies sported wings, but Eleni knew better than to confuse one of them for a Pegasus. Even from her vantage point so far below, the claws on their legs were clearly visible. As her focus went back to steering Candy, Eleni failed to see the red droplets falling from the sky. It wasn't until a few drops landed on her face that Eleni noticed it was blood that was raining. It only made her hurry.

She almost wished that she hadn't.

In what was once a green and pleasant meadow, there was now carnage.

Among the ravaged and bloodied corpses of what were once courtiers stood seven-foot tall monsters. Each of the four creatures had heads like bulls, human bodies, cloven hooves, and tails.

"Tauroses," Eleni whispered. They were some of the more disturbing immortals, created with one purpose: to rape and kill. "Mithros, help me."

The immortals had noticed Eleni at the edge of the clearing. Even with her disguise, there was no fooling their noses. To them, Eleni was female and nothing else. She could try to run, but they would have easily outrun Candy.

Her only other option was to fight them. It was foolish, but it was better than running and dying a coward's death. Eleni jumped down from Candy, giving the mare a firm smack on the rear. At least her horse would escape, and maybe someone would find her and come look for its owner.

Sword ready, Eleni charged, not giving the creatures to react. They might have had brute strength over Eleni, but Eleni was much smaller and faster. The reflexes that had saved her from Pier were proving useful once more. However, she could not keep up evasive tactics for much longer. She was growing tired, and the few times their talons had scratched her were only adding to her earlier blood loss.

The creatures were slow, incapable of thinking through their immediate movements. Once distracted, Eleni was offered precious moments of repose, but they didn't last long. Whenever they caught sight of her again, the chase would begin all over again. After a few minutes, she was quickly growing tired, and her arm muscles were practically seizing from exertion. Eleni was fine now, but she didn't think that she would be for much longer.

Eleni did well enough until she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. One of the tauroses grabbed her left shoulder, silver talons sinking into her shoulder blades. Eleni had taken a dagger from her belt and adroitly inserted it into the underside of the creature's forearm. She left the weapon embedded there and ran for the source of the movement. The other immortals had gathered around their wounded compatriot, and Eleni knew that they would be distracted for a few moments.

Just one of the many bodies in the clearing, Eleni had failed to notice that the girl was alive. Long, black hair, matted with blood covered up a pretty face with widened green eyes. Though shivering and obviously very scared, the girl was trying to shelter something smaller with her own body.

Eleni knew this girl. She knew her mother and father, her older and younger brothers. She had seen this girl before, and seeing her here, seeing her now, told her exactly who had been with the party. At the very least, some of the Queenscove children had been present, and the thought chilled her.

Knowing that she didn't have much time to waste, Eleni reached for Muiko. The girl refused to budge from her hunched over position, unwilling to uncover whatever she was shielding. Eleni, not caring if she was gentle or not, reached for Muiko's shoulder and ripped her off whatever was hidden.

Lieing in a growing pool of blood was one of the children she had been captured by a year ago. He was the little boy with blue eyes who had wanted to free her from her cage, and he was slowly bleeding out. If it hadn't been for the way his face kept twitching in pain, Eleni would have thought he was dead too. Muiko had been protecting him from further harm.

"Oh, Mithros." She didn't have time for tears, not if she wanted to save the little boy. "Muiko," she whispered, not wanting to draw the focus of the immortals. "Muiko," she said louder.

"They're gone." Her voice was so small that Eleni almost didn't hear it. "They're all gone." With all due respect to the dead, now was definitely not the moment to break down and mourn them.

"Muiko, can you heal? Can you heal like Sir Nealan?" Eleni needed her to be Gifted, needed the girl to help her save the little boy. Muiko nodded but couldn't bring herself to speak. "Good," Eleni whispered to herself. Bloodied hands glowing violet, Eleni tried to close the worst of the gaping wounds in the child's chest. There wasn't much strength left in her exhausted body, but Eleni healed as much as she could in such short time. "Muiko, I'm going to stop now. I need you to take over. Can you do that?" The girl didn't answer, but took over nonetheless. "Good girl."

Forcing herself off her knees, Eleni tightened her hold on her sword. The healing would be pointless if they were still trapped by these damned creatures. If it cost Eleni her life, it wouldn't matter. All that matter was giving those two a chance to escape, and that wasn't going to happen if five hulking immortals were blocking the path.

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**Like? No like? Tell me what you think, it helps the ideas flow!**

**Also, I'll answer one question that you might have about the story, the future plot, the characters. Just post your question in your review, and I'll answer it in the next chapter's bottom note.**


	54. Choosing the Way

**I'm amazed at how inspiration can come to my fingertips. I had original pictured this chapter going differently, but this worked out too. Also, I hope that nothing is too wrong, I wrote a good chunk while on codeine. **

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Pain. Throbbing and humming just on the other side consciousness was pain. The very knowledge of what was waiting made Eleni retreat into the darkness. On the other side it was too warm, stiflingly hot, but in the shade it was much cooler. There wasn't a breeze blowing, yet it felt so comforting, like laying on fresh sheets right after the bed had been made.

Before she could get too comfortable, Eleni felt searing heat on her left shoulder and encircling her waist. Though she struggled to get away from the spreading heat, it soon proved futile. Whatever it was had spread from her skin into her veins, engulfing her in its roasting warmth. She couldn't get air when she tried to breathe, and Eleni couldn't remember her last breath.

_Come now, nestling._

Words that had once been an echoing caress in her head were now jarring and discordant. Eleni tried to physically shake the sound out of her head, but couldn't feel anything besides the heat.

_Breathe,_ the voice commanded. Eleni tried to, hoping that if she did what the voice was saying, it would stop speaking. It was pointless. She made the effort, and it felt as if she was losing oxygen instead of gaining breath.

While before she'd been aware of every bit of her being because of the unbearable heat, now she could feel individual pinpricks on pain breaking through. Air was returning to her lungs in quick bursts, ironically, leaving her breathless in the process.

Just when Eleni could feel sensation from her heavy eyelids, as she was about to open her eyes, shards of ice cut through the heat and clamped around her heart. The hands clenched tighter and tighter, willing the beating organ to freezing and slow. Eleni gasped in pure pain, screaming silent cries for repose.

As she was about to drift back to the chilled nothing of her uncounciousness, more warmth, hotter than anything Eleni had ever experienced, bloomed around the icy hands, melting them away. The same heat appeared at her ear.

_I can't promise help another time,_ the voice crooned. It didn't hurt this time, it had reverted to its rhythmic tendency. _Try to stay away from my dear brother, little chick._

Without warning, pain overwhelmed Eleni. Sensation had returned to every corner of her broken body, and she almost wished for the darkness again. Knowing better than to do so, Eleni instead focused on the weight that was resting on her chest.

It was too light to be one of the immortals she had managed to cut down, the shape too slim. Eleni tried to open her eyes, but found it too difficult, taxing even, and soon gave up. Letting her mind float away, Eleni knew that she was only falling asleep and not going back to the dark place she had trapped herself in. Sleep seemed infinitely beneficial at the moment, and she found herself craving it.

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_He came to her in a form that he often favored. Years ago, aly had told her tiny daughter of how the Trickster was fond of this particular guise. He preferred to look more like a father-figure than a god when chastising his charges. Eleni supposed that the salt-and-pepper hair did the trick._

_"You really better be worth the trouble," he teased. The easy smile on his copper face told Eleni that he knew she was undoubtably worthwhile. "I must be honest, though," the carefree demeanor wilted just a bit, quite possibly under the weight of the past day, or days; Eleni didn't exactly know how much time had elapsed. "My brother is very upset with us. Said that this was the last time he would step aside from doing his duty." His contenance went from grim to jovial in a flash. "So let us try to remain far from Death, little one."_

_If Eleni could have punched the smug arrogance out of the god, there was little doubt she would have done so at that moment. As it was, Eleni didn't even have time to respond. _

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Quicker than she aware of, Eleni felt herself being awakened.

There was still pressure on her chest, but now it was much more insistant. Much less gentle, the hands that were now probing her obvious wounds cared little for her level of comfort. Eleni couldn't help the grunt that escaped her lips. Immediately, she felt a hand run through her hair, although it wasn't too gentle.

And then she could hear everything. Something was bellowing off in the distance, groaning away in pain as it died. And the earth was trembling. The cadenced approach of many somethings was reverberating through the ground, and it was getting much closer, quickly.

All of it together sent Eleni back to sleep. When things quieted down, she would come to, that's what she told herself. It was much too loud and her head was pounding. The hand on her hair never stopped its motions, and it helped soothe her to rest.

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_The motions on her hair had turned gentle, maternal, but Eleni knew that she wasn't in the same place she had been before. Gone was the rough ground she had passed out on, in its place a soft day bed. Under her head was something more firm, a person's lap. Judging by the countless folds of fabric that were serving as a pillow, Eleni guessed that it was likely a woman's lap._

_And it was a woman. Eleni could see that when she opened her violet eyes._

_Glorious, with an ethereal aura surrounding her, the woman had emerald eyes, dazzlingly white skin, black hair, and full red lips. Akthough clothed in nothing more than a simple dress of fairest blue, the lady wore regality as if she had been borne to it. And this gorgeous woman was now stroking Eleni's hair. _

_Well, what appeared to be Eleni's hair, it was much longer and elegantly plaited. Making the effort to sit up, and meeting no resistance from the beautiful lady, Eleni saw that someone had changed her clothing, and her appearance. No longer a lanky child of eleven years, she was a grown woman, dressed in the finest on of silk dresses and filling it out just fine. She was as beautiful as the lady on the couch._

_Turning to ask the woman what was going on, Eleni found the couch empty._

_"Where did you go?" she whispered, almost to herself. _

_Lithe arms wrapped around her corseted waist, as a set of lips pressed a kiss to her neck. Standing ramrod still, Eleni waited for the person to explain themselves, for this was not the woman from earlier._

_"I only left for a moment," he, it was definitely male, responded. "Did you miss me already, darling?" He continued to nuzzle her neck, unaware or uncaring of her shock. "I said I would check on the children for you." Another strategically placed kiss, and this more mature version of Eleni found herself sinking into his embrace._

_"Yes," she murmured. "The children, of course."_

_As her vision started to go blurry, as she began to lose her sense of the moment, the lady appeared before her eyes. The man took no notice of the woman's presence, but it served to jerk Eleni out of his spell._

_"Do you enjoy this?" For all her beauty, the woman's voices sounded like the baying of the hunting dogs kept in the kennels. It hurt Eleni to listen to the words, but she knew that what was being said was important. "Do you, my daughter?"_

_The man hadn't stopped his assault on Eleni's senses, but she retained anough wit to forma response. "Yes." The man's thumb had started to rub tiny circles on her abdomen; simplicity was all she could manage at the moment._

_Without moving, the woman continued. "Would you trade your shield for this?"_

_That did it for Eleni. Eyes wide at the question, she forced the man's hands away and he did not resist her. With his hands went his overly skilled mouth, and Eleni almost regretted her actions. However, the woman's question was more pressing than the lost attentions of a man she hadn't even seen._

_"Never."_

_The smile was almost imperceptible on the woman's ruby ready lips. "If you believe so, child."_

_And then it was black. In the pit of her stomach, Eleni felt something very heavy making its home. Perhaps, it might have been longing, but it felt more like regret. _

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**Oh, I had fun with this chapter. I hope that I didn't confuse anyone. Any guesses as to who the lady was? Or the man? I was thinking of one very specific character when I modeled our mysterious lover.**


	55. Analyzing the Damage

**Wow, codeine can knock you out or keep you awake until 5AM. Anyway, it fueled this, so it isn't all that bad. Some of you were confused by the last chapter, but this one offers a bit of explanation. Enjoy!**

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Alexander of Tirragen regretted many things in his young life. His mother despised him, showering his sisters with affection while silently despising him. His father had died of a sudden illness when he was still a tiny boy. His great-grandmother continued to expect him to pull down the very heavens and prove himself better than his peers, shunning him if he performed less that spectacularly. The past thirteen years had been anything but pleasant, and as he found himself standing before his king, he wondered if there was a god with a vendetta against him. It was simply incomprehensible that his path in life was so jagged and bumby.

Now he had another thing to regret, saving the Lioness' _granddaughter_.

King Jonathan of Conte, wise and proud king revered throughout the world, faced a dilemma. Much like had happened three years ago, the grandson of the man who had once been his friend stood in his private office, a practical copy of the once great man. There were differences, of course, but they were only detectible if time had been spent with this Alexander and the late lord of Tirragen.

It would require more tact than he felt like expending, but carelessness would cost Jonathan greatly. The situation wasn't one he could ignore and walk away from.

"Is that all that happened yesterday mornining, page?" It was difficult to be unbiased in a situation like this, at a time like this. Jonathan fought hard to reign in his grief, his anger at the unfair ways of fate, barely winning when he remembered the small dark-haired boy slowly recovering in the palace infimirary. "Well, page?"

If he had been given a choice, Alex would have preferred to face the band of immortals all over again. "Yes, sire, that is how the events transpired."

"And the other page that was found nearby, do you know anything of that?"

Alex could lie, but it would be pointless, it was obvious by the look on the king's face that he knew some of the details. Lying would only serve to put him under further scrutiny. Gods, he hated his life.

"Yes, sire." Before his throat could close up on him, Alex forced himself to swallow. "I witnessed Pirate's Swoop leaving the palace grounds yesterday monrning. I curious to see where he – she – was going when we were all supposed to report to Lord Padriag." Alex didn't want to remember how easily he'd been fooled, how he had believed her act, left his only remaining friend, because he thought that someone knew what it was like to have too much expected of them. The bitter taste of revelation had yet to leave his mouth. "When I finally found Pirate's Swoop, she was at a physical disadvantage to Pierina. I felt obligated to step in and prevent bloodshed."

Steepling his fingers and leaning back in his chair, the king obviously want to know the rest.

"I tried to assist, to give her a chance to excape, but then," Alex's words failed him here. Most of what happened the day before had blended together, and the sleepless night in between wasn't helping his memory. "There were screams, sire. I didn't know until it was too late that Pirate's Swoop had gone off in the opposite diraection. By the time I got there, she was unconscious. I manage to take down another of the creatures that Pirate's Swoop had failed to kill, and then reinforcements arrived. I then tried heal her and the prince as best I could."

"You are still avoiding my question." Alex knew it; he just couldn't bring himself to say what the king had already speculated. "As an act of self defense, I killed Pierina of Stone Mountian in a duel, your majesty."

Alex could still see the scene playing out, if he closed his eyes. The memories, the pained look on his friend's pretty face, had been haunting him every second of the last two days. Knowledge that the person he had defended was a liar and schemer made his actions all the more agonizing.

Jonathan knew that the boy had only offered the barest of details, but extended mercy. He owed it to the boy, after what he had done the day before. Without moving from his reclined position, he dismissed the boy with a gesture. The sound of the heavy door closing masked his tortured groan.

How had things escalated to this? How had he lost so much that was dear to him in such a short time? What would he say to Jonnie if, when, he corrected himself, the boy woke up. How to tell the boy? That he was alone now? That his parents and sisters had gone to join the Black God? It was unfair enough that Jonathan had to deal with the pain of loss, but asking the small boy to shoulder the guilt of survival was too much at his age.

However, this was not his moment to mourn, though. As sovereign, he had matters to attend to before he could deal with the loss of his family.

The goblet of wine was placed on his desk without him having asked for it. A tanned and calloused hand rested on his shoulder, reassuring in its silence. Downing the cup without a care, Jonathan thanked his spymaster.

"You can't do this to yourself now, Jon," George of Pirate's Swoop hadn't swifted from his place. "Alanna arrived an hour ago," he said hesitantly.

"And I take it that you haven't seen her yet?" Fearless or not, few dared to brave the Lioness and her temper without aid. "I'll go to the infirmary in a few moments, George." He was trying to make light of the situation, to act as if it was only a minor incident that had called Alanna to Corus.

Decorum failed him, and the mighty king felt a small bit of his spirit break. Although it was a quiet death that his soul suffered, it was reverberating throughout the palace, throughout Corus, throughout his kingdom and the kingdoms beyond.

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In the palace infirmary there was a section that had recently been curtained off. Three men, five women, and thirteen children laid on pristine beds, their faces covered by the sheets. They had died before reaching the palace.

It had seemed cruel to force the Chief Healer to perform his duties, related as he was to a third of the dead, and the younger healers had sent him away while they did his job for him. More than one person wished that they could have also been excused. Death was common, but the butchery of women and children wasn't so familiar to them.

The rest of the infirmary looked little better. The stench of blood, despite the incense burning, refused to leave, and it wasn't all too surprising. Dozens of courtiers, kights, pages, soldiers, and members of the palace staff had shuffling in and out of the room, each suffering from some wound or another, but few requiring to the spend the night.

The one patient to come in without obvious wounds was Kyle of Masbolle. A stablehand had found the boy tied up in one of the rafters covered with hay. He was lucky. The boy was shaking and clearly dehydrated when he was brought in, but his problems had been solved easily enough. A quick healing, orders to drink plenty of water, and an escort back to his room, the page was gone.

Even with all of the patients that were sent back to their own beds, few infirmary beds remained empty, and the healers found themselves going without rest and meals, forgetting their own health in the effort to undo some of the carnage. It wasn't until the afternoon after the attack on the palace, when a quiet voice requested entrance from the posted guards, that the healers left the awful room.

Alanna of Pirate's Swoop, Alanna the Lioness, had seen and shed blood over her years as a knight. She had seen war, poverty, death. She would have willingly spent the rest of her life replaying those appalling moments, if it meant that she could go without seeing what was in front of her. Lying on the sixth bed on the right side of the infirmary was her beloved grandchild. Whichever of her grandchildren it had been, Alanna would have suffered for it, but that it was Eleni, her only granddaughter, the little girl she had believed to be far away and safe, broke Alanna's heart. Riding on the heels of her grief was boiling rage, but it failed to overtake sorrow.

An hour passed before anything disturbed the silence. The lady knight had long since begun a vigil over Eleni, sitting at her bedside and praying to every god of every land that her granddaughter would make it through another night, and many more after that one.

The intruder was a young healer, frightened of this subdued Lioness, but he had tasks to perform. "Mila-"

Alanna didn't correct him, didn't move at all. "I believe that I won't in your way, healer." Imposing even while grieving, she knew that few would challenge her commands for now.

The healer had little choice but to go about his rounds, checking on the status of the twenty-eight injured. Twenty-seven patients down, the small healer steeled himself. "Madam," he called gently from her side. A grunt was the only response he received. "I have to check on her now, milady." He met little resistance and hurried about.

The girl was still covered in wounds that hadn't closed over entirely, but the healers had been spread thin, too thin to treat every superficial injury. The girl would suffer more scars than would ever benefit a lady. Judging from the clothing she had been wearing when brought to the infirmary the healer doubted that the girl would mind a few scras. Without another word to the knight, the healer covered up Eleni and left.

The sound of the door closing was strident to the ears of the room's sole conscious occupant. Silence didn't prevail for long. Alanna cried, something she did on few occasions, and continued to pray. She prayed for Eleni, for the boy lying on the bed next to hers, for the others in the infirmary, for the twenty-one taken before their time.

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**I'm awful, I know. It was necessary, I promise! Any guesses about the whole thing? I love reading your theories, and some become fact!**


	56. Restarting the Journey

**Still in pain, but I'm not allowed out of bed. The only thing left to do is type until the medicine knocks me out. I'm sure that all of you are so upset by all of these updates, too.**

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_I was better off dead._

Those weren't the words that usually sprung to the forefront of Eleni's mind whenever she woke, but the pair of violet eyes bearing down on her made her reconsider living. The thin chemise she'd been forced to wear wasn't exactly Eleni's choice of armor for this confrontation, either. In her mind, she had imagined telling her grandmother the truth under very different circumstances. Having her grandmother interrogate her, while she laid bandaged up in the palace infirmary after almost dying had not been a part of her original plans.

Eleni couldn't meet Alanna's stare. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she moved her head to the side, closing her eyes at the headache that had begun to build. "I suppose you're going to yell now?" It probably wouldn't serve as the best way to begin the conversation, but Eleni already knew the outcome. She'd be shipped home, no matter what the king and her grandfather said, especially after this debacle.

Alanna tried to ignore the involuntary wince her granddaughter gave her when she tried to smooth out her hair. "Well," she responded after a few moments of silence. "It all depends on your explanations, little one."

Three days of watching over her granddaughter and praying had brought Alanna clarity. There were many ways to go about the issue, but she would not commit the same errors she was guilty of when raising Alianne. She would listen to what Eleni had to say, her reasons for lying for so long. Maybe, there was some logic behind her actions. At least, she hoped there was some logical thought inside her little head.

"I didn't want to go through what Lady Knight Keladry went through." The response was quick and simple, something Eleni had spent the past two years perfecting. It was heartbreaking in its honesty. "There were too many things to weigh me down as a girl. Being a boy was easier," Eleni brought up her bandaged hands to angrily wipe away the unbidden tears. Fighting back sniffles, she continued, "And it was, Grandmother, it really was. There were some problems, because I was the Lioness' grandson, but I was usually just another boy." Eleni didn't refuse the handkerchief her grandmother offered. "It went well enough for you, when you did it. I thought that I could do it too." Her words trailed off, unsure of how to ask, beg, her grandmother to let her stay, to not send her back to the typhoon of rage that was Alianne.

"That there is a coward's way out, Eleni Crow." Alanna might as well have struck the girl, for all the damage her words did. "Do you know what made Keladry strong enough for knighthood?" She gave Eleni time to respond, although it soon becams apperant that she would speak. "Resistance, from courtiers, from her fellow pages, from common people who didn't know any better," she explained. "She had to fight to gain her shield, and she learned to value her shield because of those small battles. Training for knighthood was never meant to be easy, Eleni. You were cheating yourself if you thought a disguise and years of lying would get you anything."

"I'm sorry." She really could say much more beyond that.

Alanna ruffled Eleni's red hair and brushed it off her forehead. "Don't apologize, little, learn. That's all I'm asking."

Through the guilt and the tears, not to mention he shame of having been caught in her lie, Eleni had difficulty processing her grandmother's words.

"That's it?" she asked warily. "Nothing more?"

"Well," Alanna said evasively as she rose to her feet. "There is one more round in this gauntlet, little one." Eleni watched apprehensively as Alanna went to the door and spoke to someone. When the king entered, Eleni felt herself shrink into the blankets around her. "Jon said that he already knew about this, that George told him a long time ago." Alanna looked angry, but it was probably directed at her husband for keeping unnecessary secrets from her. "He has a few things to say to you, Eleni, dear."

When Eleni had first faced the king she meant to serve as a knight, she had been impressed by the grand man before her. This man and the man she remembered were not the same person. This man was broken, lost almost, suffering from a burden that he could barely shoulder, let alone move forward while baring it. All the same, despite the haggard appearance and weary look in his eyes, this man was Jonathan of Conte. Eleni could only wonder what had happened to make him deteriorate like this. If gaunt look to his face didn't make it obvious that he was exhausted, the way he collapsed on the recently vacated chair said it all. King Jonathan was tired out.

"Hello, again, Eleni." Despite his appearance, he tried to act as if few things had changed in the past few days. "It seems your grandmother found out our little secret." The attempt at humor was weak, but Eleni appreciated it all the same. "I know we didn't specify what would happen if you were discovered, but given the circumstances," Jon trailed off. He really didn't want to do this, to do as he had promised. Things would never be easy for her after this moment, and Jon would have preferred to spare her the troubles to come. "I was convinced to let you remain for the duration of your training."

The decision had been taken from him, and now he only hoped that they wouldn't come to regret it.

The sparkle that returned to Eleni's violet eyes spoke of gratitude, but Jonathan wasn't too sure. How long would it be before the young girl would lament her choices in life, before she regretted that her elders hadn't stepped in and made the choice for her?

A knock at the door brought the king back to the present and away from his thoughts of the future. There were a few visitors that had insisted on seeing Eleni, and they had already waited most patiently. If nothing else, it showed the king and his champion that not everyone would shun the fiery girl on the bed. There were still some people who cared for her, and that might be what made the biggest difference. They both knew that the people who stood at your sides were the people who mattered.

"Eleni," her grandmother's words had turned gentle. She'd already chastised her grandchild, done her duty as an adult. Now, it was time to become her friend, to be the overindulgent grandparent the opportunity presented. "A few of your friends have been waiting to speak to you."

She was more than a little afraid, but Eleni lifted her chin defiantly and grinned. "I would hope so, Grandmother." She wouldn't grovel or beg, because that would accomplish nothing. The truth would be calmly explained, and hopefully they would remain friends. If not, then she would find strength from her solitary existence.

If the overjoyed rabbled that gleefully entered the room when Alanna opened the door was any indication of how her friends felt about her, then Eleni had few worries. Jon and Alanna left without another word, knowing how important it was for the friends to reassure each other. As they walked away from the infirmary, the aging king reached out for his friend's hand. After so many years and trials, they both both remembered how vital it could be to have a companion to lean on.

Happily surrounded by her friends, Eleni enjoyed the feeling of being accepted. The last two years had been spent fretting over how they would receive the news when she chose to reveal herself, but it seemed so easy now.

Kyle refused to let go of her arm, apologizing over the whole ordeal, although, he had nothing to be sorry for. Devin, thinking that all women were the same, had brought her flowers. They'd all enjoyed a good laugh at that poor attempt to follow Lord Padraig's advice on how to treat women.

The happy reunion didn't come without a few harsh words, however. Varrick would have killed her himself for being so reckless, but Warren kept him at bay. They were only worried, and perhaps a little upset, that she hadn't chosen to confide in them. Simon said that he understood her motivation, his father having trained with Lady Knight Keladry. Eleni wasn't completely wrong in wanting to avoid the petty fights and bigotry that came along when a girl chose to train for knighthood.

Schuylar was a little detached, wary even. He had thought that he had known Myles of Pirate's Swoop well enough, but it turned out that he was very wrong. He had been fooled, cleverly so, but it didn't bother him the slightest. That it didn't bother him disturbed him. Shrugging off the feeling, Schuylar decided that he might not have known Myles, but that he certainly did know the person in front of him. That was all that mattered, and he would just begin to learn more about Eleni Crow.

Eleni almost managed to relax, to feel at ease with her friends. It worked, until she realized that one person wasn't there to see her. She couldn't blame him, but she was going to begrudge him his petty sexism.

Alexander of Tirragen could burn for all that Eleni cared, because he obviously didn't care about her. Who needed pretty distractions anyway?

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**Please, don't be angry! Alex can't forgive things so easily, and their friendship had a rather shaky foundation. I promise that all that is wrong with the world will be corrected in due time!**

**Also, the poll on my profile page is still open! Please, vote on it, because it will come in handy later.**


	57. Drowning the Sorrows

**I know that a few of you are still confused, but I hope that after this chapter most questions will be answered. Also, this chapter is dedicated to Liz and her inquisitiveness. Enjoy!**

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The young girl sitting at the back table of the Hearty Hart was probably not supposed to have imbibed alcohol. However, if the various empty cups around her elbows were any indication, Irina had chosen to ignore the girl's age and let her indulge. She had likely surpassed her limit two drinks ago, and her violet eyes were starting to become unfocused. Even her hand gestures had lost whatever grace they might have once possessed.

"Irina!" Despite her delicate appearance, she sure had a screechy voice. "Can I have another?" Her uncoordinated hand was shaking an almost empty glass over her head. "Please?"

The stuff she was forcing herself to drink was unbelievably bitter, but none of it could hold a candle to the bitterness welling up inside of her. An angry, beady-eyed monster was growing in the pit of her stomach, and, as every drink failed to make it disappear, Eleni could only go over the humiliating argument she had endured before being sent off.

It wasn't even evening yet, but the girl had already had more to drink in a few hours than most veterans could down in a week. Irina, the buxom barmaid of the Hearty Hart, was starting to become worried.

"Do you think tha-"

"That you're an idiot for letting her drink?" her companion, Avery, interrupted? "Yes, you are." The raven-haired woman ignored her friend's sputtering and went to attempt some damage control.

Eleni Crow, once a guest of the inn under the name Myles of Pirate's Swoop, had been sent down to the city for the summer by her grandfather. George hadn't offered his people too many details, but they were spies and information was not easily kept from them. That the girl was here as a girl, and not in her male disguise, said enough to have the staff guessing. The plans of a certain violet-eyed redhead had failed.

Setting a large glass of arak in front of the girl, Avery regarded her critically. She knew some of the details, but talking was always good for the soul. "You wanna tell me about it?" There was no point being obscure, and with her level of inebriation Eleni wouldn't understand vague approaches.

"Sure!" Eleni's voice was a little too loud in the almost empty room. "Grandfather sent me down here, you know that."

Avery wasn't deterred. The girl wasn't suffering from a loose tongue, and it made Avery proud to see that the girl could hold her own when it came to liquor. "Is there a reason he sent you down here in a dress?"

Eleni let out a derisive chuckle. "You probably already know, Avery, stop asking." She was a little confused when her glass moved away from her hand. Either she was losing it or – Avery. "Give me back my drink, sir."

Avery didn't take offense to the little slight; Eleni was upset and didn't know how to handle something of this magnitude. "I'm going to pretend that you didn't just say that, girl." She wasn't ashamed of her lifestyle choices, but Eleni was poking at a sore spot. "Now," she said, sympathetically handing over the glass of arak. "Tell me everything." If Eleni chose to not cooperate, Avery had plenty of other ways of simply taking the information, and she wasn't too gracious to not use these methods.

Taking the veiled threat in Avery's voice as a hint, Eleni decided that she might as well tell her what had happened. It was sure to be a trying three months at the Hearty Hart if she avoided the conversation.

Before opening her mouth, Eleni took the time to collect her thoughts. She probably should have done the same thing two years ago, but there was little point repenting over her past choices. Choices had been made and events had happened. It was the way of the world, and there was no way to change the past.

The day she'd woken up in the palace infirmary, Eleni had had plenty of questions to ask, few of which were actually answered. Her first questions were about Pier and Alex; what had happened to them, how were all three of them to be punished for missing the examination?

That simple inquiry had been answered with silence. Varrick, already upset by the whole situation, had left the infirmary, Warren following right behind him. Kyle, clinging to Schuylar's arm in distress had turned whiter than Eleni's bedsheets. They'd lost another page to the Black God. Artan's death the summer before had been horrifying enough, but another dead page so soon after was harrowing. Alex had been found with Eleni and Muiko of Queenscove when the King's Own had shown up, and Kyle was eventually found by a stablehand.

Things only got worse from there. Eleni remembered some of what had happened in the clearing, the immortals and the corpses surrounding them. The Own had appeared in time to rescue the two pages and the young courtiers, but there was nothing that could be done about the bloodbath that had occurred.

The Crown Prince, his wife, their children, and a score of other nobles had left the palace that morning for a picnic in the Royal Forest. Only the Crown Prince's son and Muiko of Queenscove had returned alive.

After that, Eleni was forced to endure an inquisition of sorts. Alanna had argued that it was completely unnecessary, but as the Council of Lords had thrown a fit over the immortal attack on the palace. As a witness to an attack on the royal family and other nobles, Eleni was forced to give an account of what had happened.

They made her relive the moment, and then they swarmed around her like vultures.

Getting an account of the tauros attack had been a front. The Council had really been looking for a way to openly judge her actions as a page. Lord Padraig had been called in as a reference to her character, and everything began to unravel. Eventually, after much debating and a few open threats, it was decided that Eleni would be allowed to remain for training.

Eleni's friends had all left for their own home fiefs early in June. Many of the lords had been called to Corus for a possible war conference and Lord Padraig was among them. The regular summer trip had been cancelled, not that many of the pages were complaining. After everything that had happened, everyone was looking forward to being comforted by home.

The Copper Islands were definitely not as appealing as Corus at the moment, and Eleni had chosen to stay in the city. That her exile was self-imposed did not mean that she was enjoying it. There were too many things for her to mull over and too much time to give in to guilt.

It took Eleni a few moments to realize that Avery was still waiting for a response, patient and understanding as always. Irina had sauntered over at some point and, without Eleni noticing, had pulled the small girl into a hug.

The men who visited the Hart certainly weren't lying; Irina's presence could be quite comforting. "You can tell us when you feel like it, darling." She wasn't about to force the answers out of Eleni. Not now, anyway. "Finish your drink, and then go up for a nap."

Though they sounded like suggestions, the not-too-light pressure on Eleni's arm told her that it was best for everyone involved if she went up for a nap. Maybe it was for the best.

Avery, still eager to hear what Eleni had to say, was not pleased with Irina, but had to admit that Eleni needed to sleep off the alcohol. The summer would be long enough for stories. For now, all they could do was look after Eleni for George and hope that she'd recover soon.

Nightfall came and Eleni was still asleep on her bed. Irina and Avery had argued over whether to wake her or not, but the final word came from James.

"The lass will need some proper food in her stomach or it'll only get worse." James got the both of them to stop bickering long enough to listen to reason. "And before you all start going at it again," he said without looking at them. "Irina will be the one to bring her down to supper."

Eleni didn't fight the pretty blonde when she was dragged out of bed and into a clean dress. Common sense told her that food would help her pounding head, and Irina was only trying to lead her downstairs to eat. And Eleni couldn't really trust her feet at the moment; almost walking into someone else's room had proven that already.

It wasn't her dinner companion let out a long whistle that Eleni got a good look at him; Merle Brown, a trainee in the Provost's Guard was sitting across from her. From the look in his eye, at least one person would appreciate her change of clothing.

"I take it that some things have changed since we last met, my blossom?" The tone was a possible attempt at seduction, and on a face as adorable as Merle's it might have worked with any other girl. Few women would contradict that he had the warmest pair of brown eyes and an easy smile, but it wasn't always enough.

Merle might have though himself a suave ladies' man, but Eleni intended to prove him wrong. She didn't need a man any more than she needed a boat in the desert. If nothing else, she'd enjoy denying his advances this summer.

So wrapped up in her mild hangover and plans of teasing Merle, Eleni didn't notice Avery come up and hit Irina.

"What did you do that for, doxie?" she hissed at the blonde.

Irina only grinned at her friend and went to the bar to retrieve a couple of drinks. Soon enough, Eleni would be feeling right as rain. As was Irina's personal motto, a man was all a woman needed to have her spirits lifted.

All it would take was a few drinks, and a way of keeping Avery from meddling.

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**Did we enjoy this? I apologize for the underage drinking, but there aren't any actual laws about that in Tortall. Are we glad that Merle is back? It's how I'm apologizing for the lack of Alex.**


	58. Changing the Guard

**I know that a few of you are still confused, but I hope that after this chapter most questions will be answered. Also, this chapter is dedicated to Liz and her inquisitiveness. It's a longer chappie, so enjoy!**

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August had turned the city into a scorching furnace. Rain had been shortcoming, and the clouds few. Even with the shutters open at all hours, it was impossible to feel a breeze at the Hearty Hart.

Eleni felt that she was right in complaining about the clothes she had been forced to wear. No one had explicitly ordered her to stop wearing male clothing, but Irina was stronger than a force of nature. Knowing that there was no point in keeping up a façade any longer, she had jumped at the chance to dress up Eleni is dresses and skirts. It was like having a daughter of her own, without making her body endure the hardships of pregnancy.

Irina loved every second of it; Eleni hated it.

Avery and James stood by and let the Scanran have her way with the girl. They agreed that Eleni should experience women's clothing and that Irina was a great judge of taste. The Hart's other barmaid had to put her foot down on some of the more risqué dresses, reminding Irina that her toy was twelve years old and barely out of her girlhood years. Either way, Eleni ended up with an entire second set of clothes, all pretty and feminine.

And so, on a blisteringly hot day in the beginning of August, Eleni found herself sitting by her window, trying to find a way to keep cool. Her shutters had been opened once again in hopes that a breeze might drift into her room, but, so far, the day had remained as stifling as any other. Eleni felt that she would have been much more comfortable in leggings and a simple tunic, but Irina had insisted on this exact gown.

She'd been shoved into one of the dresses that they had bought in the Unicorn District. It was a very pretty little thing; even Eleni had to admit that fact. The color wasn't garish, the deep cinnamon brown color not clashing with her red hair, and for that alone Eleni was thankful. The color was the only thing Eleni found herself liking, because she felt like she was drowing in the amount of fabric that made up the dress.

Trying to find a comfortable way of sitting, arranging her skirts rather than just hiking them up, Eleni tried to get her mind off the unbarable heat and back to the letter she'd been trying to write. Letters had arrived at the palace for Eleni, and Lokejo had been dutiful to send them to her. She'd had a dozen letters from Schuylar alone and a few from Warren and Devin, but this was the first that she'd received from Perci. They'd kept a frequent enough corresponce while he was up north, but this was the first that she had received since early March.

Reading his latest letter had brought about conflicting feelings in Eleni. A part of her was very pleased that he had taken the revelation of her gender in stride, that he wasn't rejecting her like Alex had done, but that wasn't the whole of it. Perci had been chosen as Nealan of Queenscove's squire.

Obviously, word had reached the northern borders and the new widower. According to Perci's letter, the knight master had not taken the news well. It had taken four days for Lady Knight Keladry and the fort's other healer to break into Nealan's quarters. Even when Perci had tried to coax him out of his rooms, he'd encountered only silence. They had been detained until now in Queenscove, but would eb heading back to Corus for a month or so.

The letter had arrived three weeks ago, and Eleni still to pen a reply.

She wasn't sure what to write, not without bringing up what had happened. She wanted to go the rest of her life without acknowledging that day, but knew that it wasn't possible. The best she could do was to bear the memory. After all, she had only lost her disguise. Sir Nealan had lost his wife and all but one of his children.

For the fourth time in three weeks, Eleni put away her quill and paper. She hadn't written a word, yet, somehow, had managed to sit at her desk for hours. There wouldn't be any more time to attempt a reply today. Irina had given fair warning that she planned to make Eleni look like a true lady for dinner this evening.

As if summoned by thought alone, Irina strode into the room, a wide grin on her pretty face. Eleni tried to stand her gorund, but the way that Irina advanced could not have been more frightening.

"We'll simply have to do something with your hair tonight, darling." Had Irina said that she was there to kill her in cold blood, Eleni might have felt safer. She was quickly regretting not having cut her shoulder-length hair. "Come now, it won't hurt after a while."

Irina was a very good liar. An hour later, Eleni escorted to her usual table, only to find that two men were already seated there, an older gentleman and a much younger man, George and Perci.

_Of course, _she though bitterly, trying her hardest to not trip over the annoying skirt of her dress. _ Irina would do this to me if they were coming. The whole lot of them are no better than common liars!_

"Grandfather, how wonderful to see you," she murmurred carefully. Feeling that she couldn't resisted, Eleni added a loud, "without even telling me." The color on his cheeks and Perci's chuckle was enough to make her forgive them. "And it's nice to see you, too, Perci."

Eleni couldn't say that she wasn't happy to see her friend again, she had missed him dearly. She just wished that she hadn't been wearing a dress. Merle had been telling her that she was looking more and more like a girl with every dress that she wore, and she really didn't want Perci to see her looking like this, not after a year apart.

She might have looked different, her hair arranged and wearing a dress, but Perci had changed too. A year up north had changed him for the better, taken away some of the softer lines of childhood. Though he and George had dressed down in more common clothing, the way he was carrying himself gave away hints of his heritage and calling. His brown eyes were still warm, but after the year he had endured, the innonce was long gone.

"And it's wonderful to see you, as well," he responded. His lips quivered, trying to hold back a smile that broke free easily. "Should I call you Eleni now? Calling you Myles would be a bit silly."

Without looking in a mirror, Eleni knew that she was blushing. What she didn't know was why. Pushing aside her worries and embarrassment, she honestly tried to enjoy dinner, as much as one can enjoy any activity while wearing a dress. At the end of dessert, Eleni was sure that the night had been one of her favorites of the summer. It was perfect, until a loud and bawdy voice rang out from the door.

Crossing the threshold were three very familiar city guards. Cara Reid, Liv Fell, their once-trainee Merle and a few others had entered the Hart, off their shift. The sight of them, normally a happy occasion for Eleni, now had her mind racing.

Eleni had never outright lied to the people she met while a guest at the Hart, the truth had just been avoided. She had preferred to let people make their own assumptions and keep the details scarce. None, apart from the Hart's staff, knew her real identity. Even now, dressed as a girl and dining with people who had seen her as a boy, Eleni had merely fabricated a tale that wasn't too far from the truth.

Her mind was racing, trying to remember what story she'd let them belive, when Irina rescued her. Coming up behind George, she said louder than necessary, "Have you enjoyed visiting your niece, Lucas?"

Apparently expecting the charade, George gave her an easy smile and a heart laugh. "Of course, Ira!" Perci, however, had not been informed, and was about to open his mouth when George looked at him sternly. "Aren't you enjoying the visit, Perci? Seeing your cousin must be nice, eh?" If there was one thing to credit Perci with, it was his ability to grasp the situation and keep on as if nothing had changed.

"It's been wonderful," he replied with on a hint of uncertainty. Perci didn't have achance to question their strange behavior, though. Before he could even form a question, he was too busy trying to fight back violent urges.

Merle, sighting his favority lass in all of Corus, as he had dubbed Eleni, had sauntered over to their table and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Long used to his overly friendly advances, Eleni didn't react to the hug or the kiss on the cheek that followed.

"How's my little lass?" he asked her cheerfully.

If his actions hadn't been enough to set Perci on edge, his blatant ignorance of simple manners had him fuming. He had never considered himself as arrogant as other nobles, but found that he wanted to teach the whelp more than manners. He wanted to teach him what a swordpoint felt like when pressed against a throat.

Ever the effortless hostess, Irina stepped in to difuse the situation. She gave Merle a little tap on the head and a peck on the lips, trying to show both of the men sitting at the table that the young man was not romantically involved with young Eleni.

"Mind your manners," she chided sweetly. Irina had seen George bristle along with the squire, and hoped that she wouldn't get in trouble for Merle's actions. Her master could be a right ogre when it came to his granddaughter's safety. "Or better yet." She said as he opened his mouth. "Let me introduce you. We wouldn't want you to say anything stupid." By now, Irina had curled her body into his side, something that Merle hadn't minded the slightest, and had forced him a step away from Eleni. "Lucas, this is a friend of Eleni's and a guard of the city, Merle Brown. Merle, this is Eleni's uncle, Lucas, and her cousin, Perci."

She really hoped that George wouldn't yell at her later, but by the way he was looking at her, Irina knew that there would be no escape later. She had known that her little stunts with Merle were risky, but the girl had needed a friend to help her forget about nobles and their petty problems. It wasn't her fault that the whelp was a flirt.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." For someone who was constantly watching his back and be in tune with what people were hiding, Merle wasn't that perceptive to the hate he had just whipped up in the newcomers. "Don't you worry, boys," he gave Eleni an affectionate pat on the back, "the little lady is safe with me."

"Merle keeps me company most nights," Eleni piped up innocently. She didn't notice how George and Perci's expressions turned sour. "He makes from great dinner conversation."

True to his old colors, George kept up his act and smiled, although, he was starting to regret giving Irina reign over his granddaughter. "Thank you, really," he said to the boy. He gave Perci a pointed look and said, "Perci, why don't you take your cousin up to her room for a bit. To give her that present we brought back."

Eleni didn't really want to leave just yet and tried to argue her point. "But, Unc-"

George left no room for argument. "Go." He had a few things to discuss with this very young and very naïve quard, and he didn't want Eleni overhearing anything. The was also the fact that Perci and he had come down to discuss something with Eleni, and Merle couldn't hear the exchange.

As Perci went to help Eleni rise from her chair, Merle took the now empty seat. "Came back from a little journey, huh? Where'd you come from, anyway?"

"Port Legann," Perci bit out in anger. He was the only son of Lord Imrah of Legann and was not about to explain himself to this vagrant. He really didn't like this young man.

Merle wasn't deterred and continued asking. "You from there? I have family down south, you know." Relaxed as ever, he leaned back in the chair and watched Eleni as she was pulled from her chair. The little

"Do you?" he might have asked, but Perci didn't stay long enough to hear an answer. He might have judged the boy on his lack of manners earlier, but he didn't look much better as he practically dragged Eleni up the stairs.

Stumbling in her skirts, Eleni was honestly trying to keep up with the irate squire. "Perci," she cried out. Digging her feet into the hardwood floor and latching onto the stair railing, she pulled back on his grip. "Stop!"

Realizing that he was holding on to Eleni too tightly, he loosened his grip. "Sorry," he mumbled. The comforting hand on his arm told him that he was already forgiven. "Come on then."

"You mean there is a present?" Eleni tried to keep her balance with one hand on the railing and the other hand on Perci's arm. "I thought that was just an excuse to get me away from the table."

"There's a present of sorts," Perci said evasively. He was glad that they were away from the guard, but he was not looking forward to the discussion they were about to have. Gods help him, he would need it.

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**Did we enjoy this? I apologize for the underage drinking, but there aren't any actual laws about that in Tortall. Are we glad that Merle is back? It's how I'm apologizing for the lack of Alex.**


	59. Unleashing the Claws

**I just wanted to thank all of the readers that have been reviewing up to now. You make me smile and type! The chapters are getting longer and this part of Eleni's tale is almost over.**

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The young pair made a quick stop at a room on the second floor of the inn. Perci told Eleni to wait a moment while he retrieved something, and she paused to wonder if her grandfather had a permanent room at the Hart. When Perci reappeared, he was carrying a long and thin wooden box. With a gesture, they continued on to the next floor and Eleni's room.

Setting the box down on the desk, Perci waited for Eleni to invite him to sit. A part of him refused to forget his manners in light of Eleni's current company. He had always prided himself on being an example of gallantry, and he was going to remind Eleni of their station in life. They were not common riffraff like the boy downstairs with George Cooper, they were aiming to be knights of the realm, and they were expected to behave a certain way.

"Oh, just sit down, Perci." Shocked, Perci was too distracted by how easily Eleni sat on her bed while there was a young man in her room. Did she always behave like this? Even with Merle Brown? "And close your mouth, silly. And before you start, I will not change my behavior. I may be wearing a dress, but I don't have to start acting like some addle-brained maiden."

Snorting at the though of his friend batting her eyelashes and flirting with some knight, Perci sat down at the desk chair. "If you order me to, milady. "He really couldn't resist teasing her. Ever since he had lost contact with Cerid, he hadn't engaged a girl in sincere conversation. He leaned around the chair as he said, "If you would come here, I have something to show you." Laying the box out across his lap, he waited until he had her attention. "The Baron had wanted to give you this himself, but I suppose that I will have to do the honors now."

The case was simple and unassuming, but a lifetime of gifts from her grandfather had taught her to not measure things by their outward appearance. She was right. When Perci opened the case, he revealed a gleaming sword beneath, laying on plush cloth. The mark on the steel blade was all that Eleni needed to see to measure the sword's value; it came from Raven Armory.

"This is my gift?" she whispered. The sword was so beautiful that Eleni was afrai to touch it just yet, although, it was very shiny and tempting.

Almost amused by her childlike wonder, Perci laughed a little. "Yes, it is. Would you care to hold it?" As Eleni reached to the sword, he added, "You should get used to the blade before we start our lessons."

Thinking that she had misheard, Eleni stopped her movements. "Lessons?"

"That's right. Your grandfather wanted to give you a new sword for the fencing lessons I'm to give you."

"When was this decided?" she asked hesitantly. Eleni wasn't opposed to lessons from Perci, he had always been a natural swordsman, but she was getting tired of people making decisions for her.

"He asked me when Sir Nealan and I returned two days ago," he answered. "We're to return to the palace tomorrow afternoon and begin private lessons until the beginning of training." Too wound up to notice Eleni's face, Perci continued on a little too smug. "Personally, after seeing the kind of people that frequent the establishment, I'm glad that you'll be returning to the palace with me. A lady shouldn't be around people like Master Brown, an-"

"How dare you!" Eleni shouted. There were plenty of things she could tolerate, but having her friends judged like this by initial appearances by people who thought thye knew better was grating on very sore nerves. "A lady," she bellowed. "Merle is a wonderful friend! And who decided that I would go back before I needed to, and that I would be your student?"

"You are a woman! And after what happened with in May…"

Ignoring Perci's explanations, because he was certainly not offering an apology for his criticisms, Eleni stormed to the door, wrenching the door open with more force than necessary. She didn't mange to get far, however. On the other side of the door was George Cooper, poised to knock.

"I take it you told her?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, sir."

Not one to be ignored, especially not now, Eleni pushed past her grandfather. "I refuse! Take your bribes and judgements back, and leave me alone."

Graceful for once, she stomped away from her room, intent on leaving as quickly as possible. She was almost the bottom of the staircase when she finally tripped over her skirts. It was expected, given the way she had been going about, but what wasn't expected was the pair of arms that caught her as she fell.

"Careful, little one," a voice whispered in her ear. Avery, for all of her pretty looks and elegance, was a man, and certainly had the strength of one. Steering the angry girl away from the main room, they headed for one of the many alternate exits. "Are you sure, you're the master's granddaughter?" she asked teasingly. "Because I can tell you that you were not subtle in anyway about your displeasure."

"How did you know I was angry?"

They had just passed through a concealed doorway into the back of the Hart and were casually strolling somewhere. People were still out at this time of the day, closing up their shops and heading home or to a tavern. A few torches had been lit already, and more would be lit soon. Corus was winding down for the night, and the slowing pace of life helped Eleni calm down.

"How did you know I was angry?" she asked, leaning into Avery's side for support, physical and emotional. The gorgeous man just put an arm around the young girl's waist and pulled her close. To anyone who saw them, they appeared to be nothing more than good friends, perhaps sisters.

"Besides the way you were trying to bring down the stairs? Oh, I think it was the way I, and a few patrons, heard you hollering." Giving Eleni a smile, Avery tightened her hold on the girl, in case she decided to bolt. "Tell me what happened, darling."

Over the weeks, Avery had coaxed bits and pieces of an account of the examination day out of Eleni. He really hoped that it wouldn't take her another to months to hear this tale; they didn't have that kind of time. Judging from the way the girl was frowning and worriedly biting her lip, it looked like he wouldn't get the story without some effort.

Reaching a hand up, Avery placed his hand under Eleni's chin, stopping the action. With unyielding tenderness, he asked again, "What happened?"

Sighing in defeat, Eleni admitted to what had happened. "They want me to go back to the palace."

"What's so bad about that?" They had started walking again. Avery might have been very capable with a dagger, but he wasn't going to lag about the same spot as the night swallowed the streets. "You knew you'd go back soon, anyway."

"They were trying to bribe me into going back early. Perci insulted Merle, too, and he called me a girl."

Laughter was not what Eleni had been expecting. "Loevly, in case you hadn't noticed, you are a girl."

"He was suggesting that I couldn't defend myself!" she retorted. "And you're missing the point. Perci was being a pretentious and arrogant fool. He judged everyone at the Hart from just a glance."

"Don't be offended on my account; I'm used to unfair judgements." It was true, given the path that Avery had chosen in life. There would always be people making assumptions without knowing all of the details, but that was life, and Avery had learned to let go of grudges. "That can't have been all that riled you up."

"I didn't like the way he spoke about Merle, made him sound like some tramp instead of the upstanding person he is." Mulling the brief conversation over, she furiously added, "And insinuated that I can't take care of myself!"

Without letting Eleni realize it, Avery had led her back to the Hart. The three-storied building was lit from within, the candlelight in the windows casting a soft glow. Even with the merry music heard from the main room and the welcoming laughter within, Eleni was uncertain about going back in. Perci and grandfather would still be waiting for her, and they would still insist on taking her back to the palace tomorrow.

Kneeling down to be eye-level with the much shorter girl, Avery clasped Eleni's face between his hands. "That pride of yours is a part of you, a very important part, but there are times that you need to keep it on a tight leash." He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for trying to defend us, but that was not the way to go about proving a point. Storming out and avoiding the issue will only prove your friend right. It makes it look as if we're turning you into a little Scanran savage." Eleni chuckled at that, because Irina was infamous accidently setting things on fire when angered. "Go up there, and prove to them that you can reason without letting appearances and prejudices clouding your mind. Can you do that for me, darling?"

Trying to live up to Avery's expectations, Eleni straightened her back and nodded. It wasn't as if she could avoid her grandfather forever. She would have to face him eventually.

The door to her room was closed, but Eleni could still hear voices from within. Not even bothering to listen in or to knock, she pushed the door open and walked past the two men. They were certainly startled to see her back so soon. Sitting on her bed, Eleni tried her best to appear in command of her emotions and the room.

"I am willing to listen to what you have to say," she said to George calmly. "But," she interjected before he could speak, "Percival has to leave the room."

To say that the way Eleni addressed him so formally had hurt would have been an understatement. He had grudgingly admitted, if only to himself, that he might have reacted to Merle more harhly than necessary, but to have Eleni reject him like this frustrated him. After learning about her lies, her deception, Perci had forgiven her without thinking twice. Obviously, Eleni was incapable of doing the same. He left the room without George agreeing to Eleni's terms. If she would choose some urchin over him, then he wouldn't argue with her anymore.

Looking on as the angry squire slammed the door in his wake, George spoke to his granddaughter. "He told me what happened."

"Did he also tell you that he acted like a bigoted snob?" As easily as that, Eleni's attempt to be mature about the ordeal left the room with Perci.

"Not in so many ways, but yes."

"I don't want to go back. Not just yet." She would beg, but she'd be damned if she left without putting up a fight. "I like the Hart, it feels like home. People don't whisper about me."

"Not even after tonight?" George asked in all seriousness. "You're going to recognize very soon that you caused a scene tonight, and that the gossips won't forget it soon enough."

He was right. Why was it that everyone was right but her tonight? Eleni gleaned a little satisfaction from knowing that Perci, at least, had also been wrong; she wasn't alone. All the same, shame at her behavior made her bow her head.

"As to why I want you back sooner for fencing lessons, is was Alanna's idea." That made Eleni look up. "I know, but she knew that the boy was good with a sword and that he would be around for a time. There are worse teachers out there, Asher for one. Give him a chance and forget whatever he might have said. Perci means well enough, it's just that young noblemen don't know how to speak to a girl, for all that their lessons in chivalry are worth."

"That's the problem," Eleni said as she kumped down from her bed. "I don't want to be treated like a girl!" The very point of her disguise had been to avoid this, to sidestep the assumptions and idiocy that came with being female in a man's domain. "I just want to be treated like everyone else, and not as inferior."

"Who ever said you were inferior?"

Furious at how she was losing any ground she had gained, Eleni shouted out, "You did! You and Grandmother!"

George alone stared at Eleni, reliving various quarrels he had endured with his wife and daughter over the years. The third generation was living up the thei legacy, that much was certain.

"We are not saying that you are weaker, only that you should be opportunistic," George said carefully, knowing that Eleni was at the brink. "think of this as a chance to learn under someone who is gifted and willing and nothing more. You'll have a chance acquire training that the others won't have."

Eleni sat back down. There was truth to what George was saying, but she was still upset about it. Illogical as it was, Eleni was tempted to go against their wishes and remain in Corus, just to spite Perci. However, she reasoned, he was her friend, regardless of what he had to say about the staff and patrons of the Hart. He had accepted her as she was, she should be able to do the same for him. Also, George was right; Perci would make an excellent instructor, almost as good as Alex had once been.

Tensing at the the thought of her once friend, Eleni let out a grunt and crossed her arms. Shamelessly grinning, George knew what the gesture meant. Clapping his hands in joy, he got leaned off the wall and walked over to his unruly grandchild.

"I'll see you at breakfast, little one."

With a goodnight kiss he was gone, probably to seek out Perci and to keep the squire from doing something foolish. Laughing to himself, George thought back to how his granddaughter had dealt with the obstacle. Eleni had lashed out, livid that someone had chosen for her, and returned promptly enough to deal with the damage with just a hint of attitude. Just like Alanna would have done.

The lion cub was being to show its claws.

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**And her temper makes an appearance, because it's not a full show without her getting angry. And don't worry, they'll get over their fight soon enough.**

**Like I said, this part of Second Chances is almost over. I haven't decided if I'll be marking this as complete and starting up a second story as the continuation of the story, but it's looking like it. I want to give this part of Eleni's story a clean cut and go on to the more exciting parts of her life. Tell me what you think when you review.**


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